Addressing tomato farmers at Dangote tomato paste factory in Kano on Monday, Ogbe said the ban would ensure that local farmers were encouraged to produce “massive tomato yields”.
“Before the end of this year, we shall ban importation of tomato paste into Nigeria. We will rather export same to other countries,” the report by Nigeria’s Ships and Ports publication quoted the minister as saying.
The minister said the government would invest N250 billion (about $819 million) into the Bank of Agriculture for the purpose of assisting Nigerian farmers with loan facilities.