LCCI: Nigeria in Dire Food Security Situation, Spent $2.13bn to Import Food Items in 2023

Dike Onwuamaeze

The President of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Gabriel Idahosa, has declared that Nigeria is in dire food security situation as the country spent $2.13 billion to import food from foreign countries in 2023 in the face of persistent structural vulnerabilities that have hindered Nigeria’s agricultural progress.

Idahosa made this declaration during the LCCI’s, “Agriculture and Allied Group 2024 Symposium/Agric-Fair” with the theme, “Nigeria Food Production in Global Space: Leveraging Our Competitive Advantage,” where he stated that, “in 2023, Nigerians spent $2.13 billionn to import food items from foreign countries, adding that, “factors such as inadequate infrastructure, insecurity, and climate change impacts hinder progress in the agriculture sector.”

He said, “Despite every effort, persistent structural vulnerabilities have hindered Nigeria’s agricultural progress. The high dependence on oil revenue and food imports, rapid population growth, and urbanisation presents formidable challenges to our food systems. So, Nigeria is at a crossroads, facing unprecedented challenges in our food systems in the face of unique opportunities that could redefine Nigeria’s position in the global agricultural landscape.”

According to him, “we cannot ignore the urgent food crisis our nation faces where our food security situation is dire, with food inflation surging to 40.87 per cent as of June 2024 and the number of food-insecure Nigerians skyrocketed from 66.2 million in Q1 2023 to 100 million in Q1 2024. Among these, 18.6 million are facing acute hunger.

“These figures are more than statistics; they represent millions of lives affected by hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. Unfortunately, too, we do not have the capacity to produce enough food to cater to the feeding needs of more than 230 million people.”

He, therefore, advised that the governments must be diligent in its fiscal policy direction and initiate specially targeted programmes for food production in Nigeria.

“We must invest in agricultural research to boost our output through improved seedlings, disease prevention, and the deployment of modern technology for agricultural mechanisation,” he said.

Idahosa stated that a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach is essential, such as the Medium-Term National Development Plan (2021-2025) that emphasised a food systems approach that addresses land, soil, seed, and water security.

He also called for the expansion of the National Food Security Council to include key stakeholders at the federal and state levels to ensure coordinated efforts that would match national demand requirements and facilitate seamless delivery of agricultural inputs to farmers.