The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has called on President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to focus on investing in agriculture as a means to resolve the ongoing food crisis in the country.
Obi made this call on Monday, October 16 in a statement issued to commemorate 2023 World Food Day.
According to him, if the Federal Government were to tap into the fertile land in the northern region for agricultural purposes, it could help alleviate the food crisis affecting the country.
The former Anambra State Governor expressed his concern about the disruptive activities of non-state actors in various Nigerian communities, which are negatively impacting food production.
The statement reads, “As the global community marks World Food Day today, we must remind ourselves of the present food crisis in the nation, and seek urgent steps to salvage the people from further hunger and starvation.
READ ALSO:
“Food crisis has remained a serious challenge facing many households in Nigeria as the country is reported, by Global Hunger Index, to be facing a serious hunger level.
”With more than half of the population living in poverty, a report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has shown that over 90 million Nigerians face food crisis.
“Insecurity, thus posing obstacles to a healthy population and human development. In the 2023 Global Hunger Index, Nigeria ranked 109th out of the 125 countries measured, showing that we currently battle high levels of hunger.
“Reports have it that Nigeria’s food inflation rate in August 2023 was about 30 per cent on a year-on-year basis. Consequently, a vast majority of Nigerians spend the entirety of their disposable income on food, which is often hardly enough.
“The horrible spate of attacks on farmers in Nigeria by armed and terror groups have continued to hinder food production, and food supplies and therefore, threatening to push the country deeper into a devastating hunger crisis. Lack of adequate investment in agriculture also contributes greatly to the food crisis in Nigeria.
“I have maintained that the vast fertile lands in the North if put into productive agricultural use, will produce enough food for domestic consumption and for exports, which can give us more revenue than we generate from oil.
“Government, therefore, must invest heavily in agriculture, to ensure sufficient food production for Nigeria and the global world. Happy World Food Day.”
