Gilbert Ekugbe
Stakeholders have called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency on the nation’s agricultural sector to save the country’s economy from experiencing more hunger.
They pointed out that the exponential food crisis and the alarming prices of food items in markets nationwide called for serious concern from the government.
They further warned that if care is not taken, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s announcement that 19 million Nigerians are currently in poverty level could be doubled and multiplied unless disruptive, innovative and strict supervising of important milestones with defined timelines between now and 2023 are sustainably implemented.
The stakeholders that spoke to THISDAY on the telephone were the former National President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr. Kabir Ibrahim; Chairman, Lagos Chapter of the AFAN and South West Regional Coordinator, Dr. Femi Oke; former Director-General of LCCI and Chief Executive Officer of Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr. Muda Yusuf and the Director-General of the African Centre for Supply Chain (ACSC), Dr. Obiora Madu.
Ibrahim said that Nigeria’s agriculture is at crossroads and begging for urgent solutions.
He explained that Nigeria’s population explosion, the COVID-19 pandemic, general insecurity, incipient laziness in policy implementation and lack of cohesion are ‘threat factors’ to food production, processing, distribution and consumption in the country currently.
