Nigeria is looking inwards to solve its present economic challenges and aims to be self-sufficient in food production by 2019, the country's leader, Muhammadu Buhari said on Saturday.

Buhari, in a national broadcast to mark Nigeria's 56th independence anniversary, said the government has rolled out plans to ensure sufficiency in local food production.

He said the government has launched a new scheme to boost rural economy. The scheme has been introduced to local farmers, particularly to reinvigorate agriculture in rural communities.

The scheme, Buhari said, would determine sufficiency in the production of millet, sorghum, soybean, rice and maize.

Through the scheme, spearheaded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, production of staple crops has been increased in 13 states across Nigeria, he added.

According to Buhari, the scheme, tagged "Life Program", will further save the West African nation the cost of importing some of its staple foods.

Nigeria has spent at least 2 billion U.S. dollars on the importation of rice alone this year.

Source : XINHUA