The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last election, Mr Peter Obi, has declared that food insecurity remains a big issue in Nigeria, stressing that lack of investment in the agriculture sector has resulted in the high level of hunger and poverty in the country.
Obi clarified that the main objective of governance should be to address Nigeria’s food insecurity issue as doing so will contribute to the eradication of hunger and the fight against food inflation.
When he visited the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) headquarters in Ibadan, he made this statement. IITA is an organisation that conducts agricultural research to develop novel and sustainable farming practices that aim to end hunger and poverty in the country.
According to a statement by his media adviser, Michael Jude Nwolisa, Obi said the worsening level of inflation in the country is caused by the obvious abandonment of agriculture resulting in food insecurity.
He appreciated the management and staff of IITA for their significant contributions to Nigeria’s agricultural sector, especially in ensuring higher agricultural productivity.
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He encouraged them to do more by working more closely with local farmers and agricultural stakeholders to enhance farming practices and agricultural productivity.
Obi said this will help IITA to ensure its research outcomes and innovations are effectively disseminated and adopted, leading to tangible improvements in the agricultural sector.
Obi maintained that agriculture remains a very critical sector in Nigeria’s economy and should not be neglected. “Our obvious neglect of agriculture is the cause of hunger and food insecurity, resulting in the high food inflation rate we have today,” he said.
“Lack of investment in agriculture, he argued, has resulted in the high level of hunger and poverty in the country today. In his words, “In the 2023 Global Hunger Index, Nigeria ranked 109th out of the 125 countries measured, showing a serious hunger level in the nation. “Our food inflation rate is currently at 33%, signifying that more concerted efforts need to be made in moving our nation from consumption to production, in the agricultural sector.”
Obi further said aside from achieving food security, Nigeria could earn huge foreign exchange from agriculture.