The critical role being played by food in the lives of both human beings and animals cannot be over-emphasised, for no society can survive without food. It is food that keeps humans alive and healthy and lack of it kills in days. It is the oxygen that a society needs to keep living.
But recent happenings in the country have threatened this essential element that we all need. To put things in clearer perspective, the rating by the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) ranked Nigeria 94th out of 113 nations in 2019, putting the country below Ethiopia, Niger and Cameroon among countries least insufficient in food production. Around 25.3 million people, if no adequate measures are quickly taken, could face acute food insecurity in Nigeria during the June to August 2023 lean season, said the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) which adds that widespread flooding recorded in 2022 had worsened the situation.
A quarterly report released by the global organisation shows that the figure projected is higher than the 19.45 million forecast in 2022. The report, titled “Crop Prospect and Food Situation”, assessed 45 countries to provide insight into the food situation with particular attention on Low-Income Food Deficit Countries. According to the report, the state of insecurity in northern Nigeria plays a major role in the projected rate of food insecurity in the country.
“Acute food insecurity is mostly driven by the deterioration of security conditions and conflicts in northern states, which as of March 2022, have led to the displacement of about 3.17 million people and are constraining farmers’ access to their lands,” the report said.
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Therefore, the news of a declaration of food emergency by the president recently is heartwarming. The Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Mr. Dele Alake, said the president declared a state of emergency on food security. This declaration was after a meeting of stakeholders on agriculture and food production value-chain at the State House, Abuja.
Alake disclosed that measures in the action plan would include an immediate release of fertilisers and grains to farmers and households to mitigate the effects of the fuel subsidy removal. He also said the president approved that all matters pertaining to food and water availability and affordability, as essential livelihood items, be under the National Security Council.
Some of the provisions in the declaration include, all-year round farming, creation of special purpose vehicles, like the commodity board, to liberalise the food production value chain, the immediate activation of land-banks across the country, as well as putting an end to the age-long and problematic nomadic animal husbandry, which would be replaced with government-managed ranching, immediate release of fertilisers and grains to farmers and synergy between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources to ensure adequate irrigation of farmlands and to guarantee that food is produced all-year round. It also plans to create and support a National Commodity Board that will review and continuously assess food prices as well as maintain a strategic food reserve that will be used as a price stabilisation mechanism for critical grains and other food items, engagement of security architecture to protect the farms and the farmers so that farmers can return to the farmlands without fear of attacks etc.
We commend the president for this initiative as we indeed agree that it is time the issue is given the seriousness it deserves. And we call on all stakeholders to work together on this to ensure food sufficiency. In our view, some of the most critical ways that will make the declaration work is the deployment of modern agricultural methods to boost production. And to ensure sustainable food security is to curtail waste post-harvest by providing the necessary techniques and equipment. There is also a need for good storage method and facilities to process the food produced. Transportation of the produce from the rural areas should be paramount as this will serve as an incentive to the farmers. Furthermore, government must devise a means to make farming attractive to the youths, so that instead of looking towards leaving Nigeria, they can stay back and explore opportunities in this sector. Farmers should also de-emphasis the production of cash crops and focus more on producing enough to feed the nation.
The persistent increase in the prices of food in the country over the past few years is in fact the biggest threat to food security in the country. So efforts must be made to bring down the cost of food items.
This declaration of state of emergency on food security by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should indeed be understood and commended by all. It is the right path to follow in the midst of soaring food inflation across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
We call on the president to walk his talk by ensuring that this particular one does not go the way of previous declarations. We hope to see clearly a departure from the past and drastic change in the way things are being done as the country cannot afford any lethargy in this trying times. All hands must be on deck to ensure that Nigeria is food sufficient. We have the land and the human resources to achieve this, therefore, there should be no excuses.
