President Muhammadu Buhari sends  Eid greetings on the occasion of Eid El-Adha that is being celebrated across the world.

In his message marking the auspicious Muslim occasion, the President restates the determination of his administration to create a just, harmonious and prosperous country in which the safety of life and property is assured.

Reflecting on current challenges facing the country, the President states that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the economies of all countries, including Nigeria, in addition to the fact that floods have caused large scale destruction to agricultural farmlands, thereby impacting negatively on government efforts to boost local production in line with the policy to drastically reduce food importation.

This, he explains, has led to food inflation which the government is working hard to address.

According to President Buhari, "no government in recent history has invested as heavily as his administration Is doing to promote local production of about 20 other commodities, through the provision of loans and several other forms of support to our farmers."

He says, "apart from the destruction caused to rice farms by floods, middlemen have also taken advantage of the local rice production to exploit fellow Nigerians, thereby undermining the goal of supporting local food production at affordable prices."

The President also notes that the current insecurity in the country has produced severe and adverse effects on agriculture because farmers are prevented from accessing their farms by bandits and terrorists.

A statement from the senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the president reassured Nigerians of measures to address insecurity. 

Speaking on the significance of the Eid El-Kabir celebration, the President appeals to Muslims "to demonstrate the good virtues of Islam through personal examples and practices."

He urged Muslims to continue to live in peace and harmony with their fellow Nigerians of other faiths in the spirit of peaceful coexistence.