The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Wednesday advised Nigerians to embrace farming to produce adequate food for local consumption and for export.

Abubakar gave the advice in Sokoto while delivering his Eid el-Fitr message to the Muslim Ummah to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan fasting.

He said: “Nigerians are really facing difficult times, occasioned by the global financial crunch, due to the falling prices of oil.

“But happily, God, in His infinite mercy has endowed Nigeria with vast fertile land, with each region having its own peculiar comparative advantage.

“We should, therefore, collectively go back to the farms, and engage in both rain-fed and dry season farming.

“With this, we can produce adequate food to be locally self-sufficient and even export the surplus.’’

Abubakar, who said Nigeria had no business importing food, appealed to Nigerians to be patient and to continue to pray fervently for the country’s unity and progress.

The Sultan also appealed to Muslims to sustain the virtues of Ramadan, namely: patience, piety, and assisting the needy.

He condemned the recent blast in the Holy Mosque of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in Medinah.

“Islam is a religion of peace and it preaches peace and unity. Violence breeds only breeds violence and underdevelopment.

“It is only the bad eggs among the Muslims who are perpetrating such heinous acts, and the Muslims are not fundamentalists.”

The Sultan praised the state governor, Aminu Tambuwal, for spending more than N250 million on the Ramadan Feeding Programme.

He also lauded him for his efforts at revamping the state’s education sector.

Abubakar called on parents to enrol their children in school to enable them to acquire both Western and religious education.

“Education is the only key to success and no nation can fully develop without according it the priority attention it deserves,’’ he said.