Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, suggested that Nigeria should first produce enough food for its local needs before exportation, urging that doing so would involve engaging in active and sustained massive agricultural practices.
Obi, who delivered the keynote address, yesterday, in Umuahia, Abia State capital, at the 47th yearly conference and general meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), argued that Nigeria would become a great nation by being a producing rather than a consuming nation.
The former governor of Anambra State said his life has been and would continue to be dedicated to working towards attaining full employment and, crime/bandit-free country, lamenting that agriculture has not been given its rightful attention despite the large landmass of 923,769 square kilometres.
Noting that 34 million hectares of this landmass is arable, he pointed out that Nigeria has no reason not to be among net exporters of food and agriculture produce.
His words: “Agriculture and food are critical and not rocket science.”
Obi predicted that if Nigeria can change its mentality and engage less in imports, the exchange rate of the naira would come at par with the United States (U.S.) dollar.
NIFST President, Prof. Joseph Abu, who faulted Nigeria’s inability to feed its citizens, expressed worry that the nation still spends huge amounts of scarce foreign exchange on importation of foods.
According to him, promotion of locally processed foods in the international space will not only boost the economy of the country but increase healthy traditional foods sustainably.
