The organization is pleading with the government to address climate change, pest infestations, and other issues that threaten agricultural productivity.
The forecast is made in response to the nation’s ongoing increase in food costs.
The National Bureau of Statistics reports that in May 2024, Nigeria’s food inflation rate increased by 40.66 percent, breaking the previous month’s record of 40.53 percent.
Since records have been kept in 1996, this spike in food costs constitutes the biggest annual increase.
Nigerian food inflation has historically ranged from -17.50 percent in January 2000 to an average of 13.42 percent.
The Food and Agriculture Organization estimated in 2023 that between June and August of 2024, at least 2.6 million Nigerians in the states of Borno, Sokoto, and Zamfara, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, may experience a food crisis.
A government-led Cadre Harmonisé research published in March 2024 estimates that the number of people suffering from extreme food insecurity in the states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe is close to 4.8 million, the largest number in seven years.
Additionally, Organised Labour expressed alarm about the nation’s escalating food costs and fuel scarcity as Nigerian workers celebrated May Day in 2024, claiming that the existing state of affairs threatened workers’ survival.
Olisa Agbakoba, a senior advocate for Nigeria, recently issued a warning that the country may soon see a hunger riot and urged the federal government to take immediate action.
Taofiq Braimoh, a UN representative, spoke on behalf of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s resident humanitarian coordinator. He stated, “The government of Nigeria, in collaboration with others, conducts an annual food security survey.”
The results this year are concerning: over 80–82 million Nigerians are at risk of severe food crisis by 2030, and about 22 million may experience food insecurity in 2023.
Like many other nations, Nigeria has challenges related to pest infestations, climate change, unpredictable water patterns, and food shortages. We are an agrarian civilization, thus the productivity of our farms directly affects the amount of food available to our people. Making the most of technology is essential to bolstering the agricultural industry and guaranteeing food security.
He emphasized that real-time data on crop conditions was made available via satellite-based crop monitoring, which helped farmers and policymakers make educated decisions and maximize agricultural practices.
He pointed out that the technology could hasten the achievement of food and agriculture-related sustainable development goals.
“High rate of hunger fuelled by climate change”
Tobi Awolope, an agricultural economist at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta’s Center for Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment, blamed climate change for Nigeria’s high hunger rate. Smallholder farmers, who produce the majority of the country’s food, have been particularly hard hit by the phenomenon.
In her Friday interview with our correspondent, Awolope pointed out that such farmers lacked the adaptive capacity to deal with the repercussions of climate change, like erratic rainfall patterns and inadequate irrigation.
“The efforts to end hunger and poverty through Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2 have been halted by climate change. Due to smallholder farmers’ difficulties in adapting to the changing climate, food supply is decreasing and costs are increasing, the speaker stated.
She emphasized the necessity of government aid for farmers, which should include technological and irrigation support in addition to production input subsidies.
Farmers by themselves are unable to lessen the effects of climate change. To guarantee food security, the government must intervene and assist them, the speaker said.
“This is not the time to leave research output on the shelf,” Awolope added, emphasizing the value of using research suggestions to guide policy decisions. Those suggestions must be applied in order for us to make wise choices that will uphold our farmers and guarantee the availability of food.
Use science and technology to transform agriculture — Expert
In the meantime, Dr. Adepoju Mathew, the Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency, emphasized the value of innovation, science, and technology in promoting food security and agricultural development.
By 2050, it is expected that there will be 9.5 billion people on the planet, and to fulfill this need, food production will need to rise by 70%.
“Technology, innovation, and space science are critical to agriculture’s transformation and to increasing food security,” he continued.
The UN report accurately depicts the reality.— Growers
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria’s National Secretary, Dr. Yinusu Alidu, stated it that the UN report should be regarded seriously since it accurately depicts the state of affairs in the nation.
“What the UN said is trending right now because it accurately depicts the actual state of affairs in the nation,” he stated. The UN is merely gathering information and discussing the existing state of affairs; it is not magic.
To create the study, they are taking into account insecurity, climate change, and global warming, among other things. On the ground, those who are similar to us already know that the UN report is coming to pass.
There hasn’t been enough rain in July yet. Experts in weather forecasting have stated that a drought is expected. They said there would be a brief spell of rain and that it might not rain again beyond August. Farmers were instructed to grow crops that will mature quickly and give a high harvest.
If not, the crops will not produce well and will be stunted. Drought will harm crops if conventional planting methods are used by people.
In order to avert a food crisis, Alidu pleaded with the government to act on the findings.
“The government has an obligation to avert a food crisis,” he declared. The government ought to support farming practices that use irrigation. The government must build dams and direct wastewater for agricultural use. There is a lot of water waste.
The moment has come for the government to take off-season farming seriously. In Nigeria, 70% of crops are planted for direct rainfall; irrigation systems are used by a small percentage of the population. It is the duty of the government to facilitate farming for farmers. They ought to assist with the irrigation system.
“I’m not sure why the government is treating farmers with such indifference. Perhaps because they have money, they think they can afford anything they want, no matter how much it costs. How does the typical Nigerian fare? I would simply suggest that farmers practice farming quickly and shrewdly.
“UN report reflects failure of government”
Also speaking with our correspondent, the President of Integrated Agricultural Services, South-West, Mr Adeyemi Adejare, described the UN’s report as a pointer to the government’s failures in supporting agriculture and farmers.
Adejare said Nigeria was already witnessing a shortage of food, saying only aggressive farming could help Nigeria out of the crisis.
According to him, the only way to stop the UN’s forecast is to start farming aggressively and receive sincere assistance from the government. Given that food insecurity is already a problem in Nigeria, we cannot ignore what the UN stated. It serves as a reminder of how little the government does to promote agriculture.
To avert the projection, the food businesses and our farming system need to reach a sustainable level, which calls for an all-encompassing strategy. The outdated farming, warehousing, and processing methods must be abandoned. Agriculture promotion needs to be a sincere commitment from the government at all levels.
“The government needs to support youth mechanized farming and give farmers more authority. For sincere farmers, the government must additionally subsidize farming equipment and offer soft loans.
Adejare stated that the country needs to move proactively to eradicate food insecurity and acknowledged that the UN report was accurate.
“The UN report is accurate,” he declared. Due to the current scarcity, Nigeria will require thirty consecutive years of cultivating and harvesting before achieving food security.
Farmer justice has not been served by the government. The government provides little assistance to farmers in the north, but the governors of the South West do not offer any support to farmers in the region. The governors have not been supportive; instead, they have only made token gestures toward the advancement of agriculture.
Facebook Comments