TACKLING HUNGER IN THE LAND
The authorities must do more to safeguard livelihoods
The 2023 World Food Day was marked last Monday. Save for a reminder by the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) on the acute food insecurity in the country, authorities in Abuja paid no attention to the event and its import. But in Ilorin, Kwara Governor and Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Chairman, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, highlighted the significance of the day. “It is more than just about food; it is also about the people and communities that rely on it for their survival,” Abdulrazaq said. “It is also about the shared responsibility we all have to ensure that everyone has access to nutritious and affordable food.”
Recent reports from both local and international organisations point to the fact that millions of Nigerian families go to bed without any certainty as to where their next meals would come from as prices of foodstuff skyrocket.Using a ‘cost of food basics’ analysis that compares the monthly minimum recommended spend on food per adult and average wage in 107 countries, a United Kingdom-based Institute of Development Studies, last year placed Nigeria as the second poorest country in the world in terms of food affordability. In the 2022 Global Hunger Index, Nigeria ranked 103rd out of the 121 countries, chalking up a level of hunger described as ‘serious.’ Besides, a recent and more comprehensive report on poverty by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) estimated that 133 million Nigerians were multidimensionally poor using four indicators: food security, healthcare, education, and work.
As we continue to highlight, the irony of Nigeria is that some of the states where food prices have gone up are in major food-producing areas of the country. Sokoto is a major producer of beans, cowpea, groundnut, garlic, wheat, sugarcane, pepper, onions, and tomatoes. Groundnut, sorghum, sesame seed, maize, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and pepper are produced extensively in Plateau State. Likewise, Gombe is well known for groundnut, ginger, cowpea, sesame seed, tomatoes, and pepper. Plantain, oil palm and cassava are largely produced in Edo State. Also, Kano has extensive production of rice, garlic, sorghum, cowpea, wheat, pepper, onions, and tomatoes. But the insecurity in many of the rural communities has made it practically difficult for farmers to continue to engage in agricultural production optimally, causing market disruptions with attendant food price shocks.
From the COVID-19 pandemic which constricted the economy to the Russia-Ukraine War, to an ailing national currency on a free fall and the recent mass flooding which disrupted supply chains, the challenges have been mounting. But for an economy that largely depends on imports – from petrol to fertilizers – the impact on the people, most of whom are unemployed, is hard. The situation is exacerbated by the unending conflict between farmers and herders in the food belt of the nation. It is therefore little surprise that Nigerians are reeling from soaring food prices.
It is noteworthy that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had last year expressed concerns that Nigeria’s economic outlook was challenging, with elevated inflation and high food prices. “The effects of recent flooding and high fertilizer prices could become more entrenched impacting negatively both agricultural production and food prices in 2023,” the Fund stated while warning that Nigeria risks slipping into food crisis which could degenerate into social unrest. Even before the IMF warning, hunger was already a common staple for millions of Nigerians.
The gravity of the situation in 20 countries, including Nigeria, was better expressedin a statement by UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation Director-General, Qu Dongyu who noted that “The magnitude of suffering is alarming. It is incumbent upon all of us to act now and to act fast to save lives, safeguard livelihoods and prevent the worst situation.”
It is a timely warning for authorities in Nigeria.
