Obi Harps on  Food Production for Local Needs, Foreign Exchange Earnings

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has called for massive investment in agriculture to make Nigeria self sufficient and a net exporter of food and agriculture produce.

He made the call yesterday at Umuahia in a keynote address he delivered at the 47th annual conference and general meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST).

Obi, who has been emphasising on the need for Nigeria to become a nation of production, said that with enough exports the foreign exchange woes would be a thing in the past.

He stated that with a landmass of 923,769 square kilometres out of which 34 million hectares constitute arable land, Nigeria has no reason to be missing out as a net exporter of food and agriculture
produce.

“Agriculture and food is critical. It is not rocket science,” he said, adding that if Nigeria can change its mentality and engage in exports the exchange rate of naira would e at par with the U.S dollar.

Using statistics and making comparisons with nations that have maximised their lands to grow their economy, Obi lamented that the criminal clique of leaders have failed to exploit Nigeria’s agriculture potential.

He cited countries like Thailand and Vietnam, who are net exporters of agriculture produce, the former Anambra governor insisted that Nigeria can do better than most nations given the leadership.

“We must dismantle this criminality and make Nigeria to work for our children,” he said.

Obi argued that many of the states in Nigeria classified as poor have the capacity to feed the nation if they could put the vast land they occupy to good use.

He cited Niger, Taraba, Kaduna and Zamfara states, saying that areas like Mambila and even the dreaded Sambisa forest are food baskets and potential foreign exchange earners.

In his address, the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, underscored the need for Nigeria to strive hard to feed its teeming population before thinking of exporting food.

The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Kenneth Kalu, noted that Nigeria has great potential to become a major player in global food exports.

“If we commit to improving agriculture we will move to achieving self sufficiency in food production and then we can begin to export,” he said, adding that his administration was already making huge investments in agriculture.

Earlier, the President of NIFST, Professor Joseph Abu, decried the Nigeria’s inability to feed its citizens, saying that the nation still spends huge amounts of scarce foreign exchange on importation of foods.

“Promotion of locally processed foods in the   international space will not only boost the economy of the country but incentivise healthy traditional foods in sustainable manner,” he said.