Food Security: FG Laments Uncultivated 50 Million Hectares of Arable Land

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The federal government  has lamented that about 50 million out of the 80million hectares of arable land in the country remain uncultivated .

It has therefore called on all Nigerians to plant a crop in line with its policy on food security.

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, made the call in his office yesterday while addressing journalists covering the National Assembly

He explained that out of the 8-point agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration, food security was the most critical because of multi-faceted benefits derivable from it.

He added that some  of the benefits were war against corruption because some people take to corrupt way of life as a result of hunger, just as some others also take to crime as a result of poverty which in itself, can be substantially addressed by food security .

The minister said: “When you secure their stomachs, the tendency for average Nigerians, to resort to corruption or outright crime and criminalities would be reduced.

“Nigerians need to key into the policy by planting something where ever they live.

“Government is also determined to get substantial part of the uncultivated hectares of land in the country cultivated.

“As it is presently, out of 70-80 million hectares of arable land in the country, only 34 million hectares  are cultivated, meaning that there is more than enough uncultivated arable land for government and Nigerians to explore for farming and by extension, ensuring food security in the country”, he said.