President Goodluck Jonathan, at the weekend, lamented that the country’s food import was currently growing at an unacceptable rate of 11 per cent annually.

The president, to that effect, described such import-dependency as unsustainable.

Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Bukar Tijani, at the second edition of the Abuja Fishing Festival, again, promised that the country would soon become a major food-exporting country.

According to him: “Nigeria can substitute fish importation with production to create jobs and enhance food security.”

He noted said apital Territory (FCT) had great potential for eco-tourism and that 500,000 new jobs would be created under the agricultural component of his transformation agenda over a period of four years.

Speaking also, the Minister of State, FCT, Mrs Jumoke Akinjide, pledged the readiness of the FCT Administration to create permanent fishing settlements.

She further maintained that empowerment programmes for fishermen in the territory would, as well, be initiated.

Akinjide promised to bring the festival at par with the Argungu Fishing Festival, while the Abuja Fishing Village would be developed to respond favourably to the increasing rate of urbanisation.

According to her, the village would provide employment and enhance the tourism potential of the FCT.

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