Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has reiterated his call for Nigeria to transition from a consumption-based to a production-based economy as the country faces worsening food insecurity.
This comes as Nigeria ranks among the 20 most hunger-affected nations globally, according to the Global Hunger Index.
In a press release signed by Ibrahim Umar, spokesman for Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), highlighted the alarming statistics on food insecurity in Nigeria.
According to reports, “In August 2024, it was reported that more than 31.8 million Nigerians were acutely short of food due to security challenges and the removal of fuel subsidies.
“It was also reported that 15.6 million children in Nigeria were facing hunger.
“The United Nations predicted that 82 million Nigerians, may go hungry by 2030 if the government fails to tackle the menace of food insecurity.
“The domestic food inflation in Nigeria remains among the highest globally, with food prices increasing by 37.5% year-on-year as of August 2024,” the report added.
Obi expressed disappointment over Nigeria’s high domestic food inflation, which saw a year-on-year increase of 37.5% in August 2024. He emphasized that the food crisis has now reached national emergency levels, with many Nigerian households unable to afford basic sustenance.
Obi reiterated that moving Nigeria from consumption to production is the key to combating food insecurity and building a prosperous nation. He called for immediate and intentional investments in agriculture to ensure food security and reduce the nation’s dependence on imports.
He stated in the press release, ‘This global observance is particularly important to us in Nigeria, where food prices are skyrocketing every day, and basic food items are becoming unaffordable to most people.
“Severe hunger has now become an unfortunate member of many households in Nigeria – the once giant of Africa, a nation that has the most arable land in the continent.
“Nigeria’s struggle with a food crisis and hunger today is saddening, considering the richly blessed and vast arable lands with which we are endowed as a nation.
“In the past, I used to lament that the majority of Nigerian households spent most of their income on food alone, sparing none for savings and other critical exigencies.
“Today, it is heartbreaking to note that most Nigerian households are no longer able to afford sustenance food with their income.
“Food prices are soaring , food inflation is skyrocketing, the food crisis is worsening by the day, and hunger has graduated to a national crisis.
“In a Food Security Update Report released last week, the World Bank likened Nigeria’s worsening food security crisis to war torn countries like Yemen, noting that we have a significant rise in the number of people facing acute food shortages and an epidemic of hunger.
“I believe these reports, sad as they are, only paint a lenient picture of the severity of the food crisis and hunger in reality.
“Over the years, I have maintained that moving the country from consumption to production remains the surest way of combating food insecurity and pulling the nation out of the present food crisis.
“I have equally stated, unequivocally, that the greatest asset our nation has is the vast uncultivated lands in the North coupled with our huge demographics.
“Therefore, We must be intentional with our agricultural investments.
“A state like Niger State, which is twice bigger in landmass than the Netherlands (excluding water) can neither feed itself nor feed the nation, while the Netherlands exports over $100 billion worth of agro products annually.
“If we can prioritize investment in agriculture by combating insecurity which has kept farmers away from the farms, and adopting modern ways of mechanized farming, we will be able to combat hunger and achieve food security for the nation.
“A nation booming in productivity, free from hunger, with an abundant food supply remains our commitment to a New more prosperous Nigeria. It is POssible,” the press release concluded.
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