The Federal Government has drawn attention to an unsettling escalation, citing a surge of over 80% in food importation from 2019 to 2023.
This disclosure was made by Dr. Kingsley Uzoma, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusinesses and Productivity Enhancement (SSAP), during the National Policy Dialogue in Abuja on Thursday.
The policy dialogue is tagged ‘Deepening Partnership for Scaling-Up of Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) for Smallholder Farmers in Nigeria.’
He highlighted that a staggering 88.5 million Nigerians currently grapple with inadequate food consumption, and this figure is anticipated to rise by six million in December.
This event was orchestrated through the joint efforts of the Federal Government, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the National Information and Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
According to Uzoma, there is a steadfast commitment from the federal government to reverse this trend.
The Senior Special Assistant identified a decrease in agricultural capacity as a key factor, explaining the country’s increased reliance on food imports.
He said the country had the highest rate of stunted children globally and added that 70 per cent of the population lived below the poverty line, and food inflation stood at 31.52 per cent in October.
‘This escalating dependence on external sources further intensifies the challenges within the domestic food landscape, all of which have resulted in the declaration of a state of emergency in food security by Mr President.’
‘The IFAD-financed programme such as the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), Livelihood Improvement, and Family Enterprises Project for the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND), aims to enhance incomes and food security through sustainable practices and the integration of ICT4D.’
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‘These programmes involve tools such as the Mini-weather Station (Nimet) and Agriculture Market Information System (AIMS) to benefit farmers.’
‘However, challenges in data access, gender equality, infrastructure, and technical support still exist,’ he said.
He identified sustained efforts at digital literacy and collaboration by agencies and private sector as critical to ensuring greater technology adoption by smallholder farmers.
Uzoma said such efforts could translate to improved productivity, extensive technical upscaling, promotion of best practices, increased trade competitiveness, and market access.
The presidential aide said it was essential to apply a twin approach of developing critical technology-enabling infrastructure in partnership with the Universal Service Provision Fund and mobile network operators while driving low-technology solutions such as USSD and WhatsApp to increase accessibility.
‘Increased collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the NITDA is necessary to implement the National Digital Agriculture Strategy to further leverage technology for the advancement of the agricultural sector.’
‘These aligned with the mandate of my office under the leadership of the vice president, which encompasses a multifaceted approach rooted in technology and innovation to ensure transformative change in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.’
‘This includes empowering one million women, youths, and minorities to achieve food and nutritional sovereignty, ensuring food security, and heightened agricultural productivity.’
‘It is also to achieve a 22 billion dollar import substitution of high-value crops like wheat, implement sustainable agricultural practices to promote environmental conservation and mitigate climate change.’
‘Moreover, the mandate seeks to generate two million direct and six million indirect jobs with a focus on youth and women while simultaneously addressing and minimising farmer/herder crises,’ he said.
The dialogue, as outlined by Mrs. Dede Ekoue, IFAD Country Director, sought to establish partnerships for the enhanced access of smallholder farmers to digital solutions.
According to her, these solutions are poised to improve livelihoods, making substantial contributions to food security, nutrition, poverty reduction, economic growth, and job creation.