By Chukwudi Obasi, Abuja
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has called for a collective, multi-pronged approach to tackling food insecurity in Nigeria.
Speaking at the 22nd Daily Trust Dialogue and Presentation of Daily Trust Unsung Hero 2024 in Abuja, Abbas highlighted Nigeria’s alarming state of food insecurity.
The Media Trust Group organised the event with the theme “Food Security: Availability or Affordability?”
The Speaker, represented by the Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Chike John Okafor, emphasized the critical role of food availability and affordability in achieving national food security.
He noted that supply chain inefficiencies, climate change, and affordability continue to undermine Nigeria’s food systems.
Abbas traced the decline in Nigeria’s agricultural output to the oil boom of the 1970s, which shifted focus and investment away from the sector, lamenting the sector’s current underperformance.
He said despite its potential, agriculture contributes under 30 percent to the nation’s GDP, with most production coming from smallholder farmers.
The Speaker commended the renewed focus on agriculture under President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, which aims to increase the cultivation of arable land from 35 percent to 65 percent by 2029.
He said other initiatives include improving rural infrastructure, strengthening farm cooperatives, and increasing access to agricultural financing.
Abbas said climate change is a significant threat to food security, with unpredictable weather patterns and disasters like flooding destroying farmland.
He also said Insecurity, particularly in rural areas, has further compounded food production challenges.
“Farmers are being displaced, held to ransom, or taxed by non-state actors, making it difficult to harvest crops,” Abbas explained.
He called on the federal government to intensify efforts to restore peace and enable displaced farmers to return to their lands.
Abbas emphasized the importance of youth participation and private-sector investment in agriculture.
He lauded initiatives like the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture’s (IITA) Agripreneurs Programme, which empowers young Nigerians to explore agribusiness.
Private sector investments, which have reached N760bn according to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, were also commended.
Abbas called for sustained efforts to enhance collaboration between the government and private entities to boost agricultural productivity.
Describing food security as a fundamental right, Abbas called for concerted efforts to lower food costs, modernize agricultural practices, and improve infrastructure.
The Speaker reiterated the House of Representatives’ commitment to supporting legislative frameworks and policies guaranteeing food security.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, emphasized the urgent need to tackle Nigeria’s food insecurity crisis by leveraging the livestock sector.
The Minister acknowledged the alarming statistics on hunger in Nigeria, saying, “Despite our vast agricultural potential, millions of Nigerians face food insecurity daily.”
The Minister highlighted that per capita milk consumption in Nigeria is a mere 8.7 litres annually, far below the global average of 44 litres and the World Health Organisation’s recommended 210 litres.
Similarly, he said, annual meat consumption stands at 7.3 kilograms per capita, a figure he noted must increase to meet the nutritional needs of Nigeria’s projected population of 389 million by 2050.
“By 2050, livestock-derived foods will need to supply 37.4% more energy and 9.0% more protein to address these gaps,” he added, stressing the importance of increasing productivity in the livestock sector.
Maiha identified several systemic issues undermining livestock production, directly contributing to food insecurity.
He said these include policy gaps, land tenure issues, low productivity, and gender inequality.
Maiha underscored the transformative role of livestock farming in addressing hunger.
He described livestock as a vital source of protein-rich foods such as meat, milk, and eggs, which combat malnutrition.
Additionally, livestock farming supports economic empowerment by creating jobs, increasing household incomes, and reducing poverty.
“Livestock farming enhances resilience by diversifying food supply and providing manure to boost crop yields,” the Minister explained.
He highlighted its role in supporting rural livelihoods and contributing to Nigeria’s export potential through leather and processed meat products.
To unlock the livestock sector’s potential, the Minister proposed several targeted interventions, such as modern farming techniques, veterinary services, infrastructure development, conflict resolution, climate-smart practices, capacity building and financing, and youth and women’s empowerment.
The Minister highlighted the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development in 2024 as a testament to the government’s resolve to address food insecurity.
Maiha called on the government, the private sector, and civil society stakeholders to unite to create a resilient and inclusive food system. He lauded existing efforts, such as grazing reserves and youth training programs, but stressed the need for further investment and innovation.
The Minister concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring sufficient, safe, and nutritious food for all Nigerians. He expressed optimism that the dialogue would generate actionable insights to advance the nation’s food security agenda.
Prof Godfrey Nzamujo, founder and Director-General of Songhai Farms in the Benin Republic, emphasised the critical role of regenerative agriculture in addressing the challenges of food insecurity.
“The fundamental flaw in today’s conventional food and agricultural systems lies in their reliance on practices that ignore the planet’s natural principles and patterns,” Nzamujo said.
He stressed that disregard for microorganisms—essential to soil fertility and ecosystem balance—is at the heart of global agriculture’s crisis.
Microorganisms, described by Nzamujo as the “unseen architects” of soil fertility, are pivotal to nutrient cycling and plant health.
He said chemically intensive farming methods have eroded this vital component of the food chain.
Nzamujo highlighted the interconnected nature of these challenges.
“Environmental degradation, soil erosion, rural decay, and mass migration from rural areas are symptoms of a larger systemic failure,” he said.
He noted that these issues exacerbate unemployment, especially among the youth, and threaten Nigeria’s stability.
With a population exceeding 200 million and shrinking per capita arable land, Nzamujo warned that Nigeria is at a crossroads.
Chief Executive Officer of Tomato Jos, Ms Mira Mehta, said Nigeria depends more on importation of food.
She urged that this situation be reversed as part of efforts to address the problem.
Chairman, Board of Directors, Media Trust Group, Malam Kabiru Yusuf, said the dialogue was an annual event that examines the development of national life to add value to the country.
