Hon. Bello El-Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives from Kaduna North, has urged the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to continue the fight against bandits who have disrupted farming activities across the country. El-Rufai emphasized that eliminating these criminals was crucial for allowing farmers to return to their farms and improving food production.
He made the call at the Youth Action Event, titled “Summit of the Future: Our Common Agenda,” organized by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Abuja. El-Rufai, the son of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, highlighted the impact of insecurity on the nation’s inflation rate, particularly rising food prices, which he attributed to the displacement of farmers by bandits.
‘Increased food prices have contributed significantly to our high inflation rate,’ he said. “Bandits have chased farmers off their farms, and as long as they cannot access their farms, food prices will remain high.” El-Rufai then directly addressed the NSA representative at the event, urging them to “continue to kill the bandits.”
Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of the Economic Policy Division at CBN, Mr. Mohammad Abdullahi, spoke on the bank’s efforts to promote youth empowerment and economic growth. He emphasized that CBN is focused on fostering youth entrepreneurship, innovation, and capacity building.
“We will leverage our economic policies to create opportunities for young Nigerians to thrive, particularly in emerging sectors like the green economy and digital transformation,” Abdullahi stated. “Our initiatives will enhance access to youth-friendly credit and empower them to contribute to building a sustainable future.”
Abdullahi further stressed the importance of strategic partnerships with civil society, international organizations, and the private sector to amplify youth-led solutions, create jobs, and drive national and global progress.
The event also provided a platform for the CBN’s youth delegation to debrief Nigerian youths who participated in the 2024 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), offering insights on how they can engage in nation-building through creativity and innovation.
