Roadmap to food, life security in Nigeria

As inflation presently ravage Nigeria’s economy, an Oyo State based Agro scientist, Engr. Tony Egba, blames it on leadership failure. He insists the only solution is provision of more food, as the first sign of poverty is hunger.

Engr. Egba, in a statement titled ‘Feed The Nation, Feed The World’ approach , and made available to the media, on Thursday, said there two approaches towards ending the harsh economy, because more than 50 percent of crimes committed all over the world are related to poverty, hunger, idleness and bad governance.

This for him, is not time for rhetoric, but a time for governments and individuals to focus on serious mechanized farming and encourage peasant farmers across the country.

His words: “Good thing is that President Ahmed Tinubu shares in this vision of Nigeria becoming the net food exporter in few years’ time. An irrefutable fact is that there is hunger in the land, especially among the masses. That is taking him by his words.

“Those of us in the Agro industry are certain we can take this country out of the woods, in no distant future, with serious backing from the government across board. There is no other way than a sincere road map to solve the problem of the food shortage and exorbitant prices of food items than following an aggressive and intensive food production through the agro industries.

Egba said, “To achieve this, our leadership at federal, state and local government areas must show readiness and seriousness to be practically involved in this process through the following simple steps that I am recommending here. I will also suggest that they cooperate with both minister of transportation and that of works, so build more rail lines and make roads motorable for ease of evacuating agro products across the country”.

“In the project code named Feed The Nation, Feed The World: I recommend that without delay, President Tinubu should use resources, resourcefulness and connections at his disposals to establish at least 10,000 hectares of farmlands in each of the 36 states of Nigeria, with each of them producing crops that they have comparative advantage of.

“The vice president and all senior aides in the presidency should also replicate same under the supervision of relevant agriculture authorities in their respective states. The 45 ministers should also be involved with the cultivation of at least one hectares of farmlands in their respective states, as well”, he said.

Egba added that all the109 distinguished senators should establish at least five thousand hectares of farmlands in their respective senatorial districts, while all representatives should also establish at least five hundred hectares of farmlands in their respective federal constituencies.

He also believe that his proposals will chase out poverty if all the federal permanent secretaries and directors should establish at least two hundred and fifty hectares of farmlands in their respective states or local governments.

“All the state governors, thirty-six of them should establish at least ten thousand hectares of farmlands throughout the local governments in their states, while the State Houses of Assembly members own at least one hundred hectares of farms in their constituencies.

“All the 774 local government chairmen should cultivate 1,000 hectares of farms in their respective local governments, with elected councilors in all local government councils at least 50 hectares of farms in their wards.

“Aside from encouraging these government officials to use their constituencies’ funds for this emergency intervention, at least for the next four years, they should also provide tractors and Toyota Hilux for farming purposes in order to enable them visit their farms regularly”, he said.

He is of the opinion that if all in leadership positions are committed are ready to roll up their sleeves and be involved in food production value chain, by engaging in effective and practical agriculture, other Nigerians would follow suit, since the political leaders.

On his solution to insecurity, he said, “In order to address the issue of life security, I will advise that all our elected political office holders and their advisers should spend at least a weekend each month on their farms. Their presence would provide adequate security in the locality thereby scaring away agents of banditry and kidnapping.

“The second phase of the project which is the value addition to all crops that will be produced will be discussed in the next article. If all our political leaders use their resources, resourcefulness and contacts to invest in Agriculture, there will be enormous opportunities for employment, job creation and wealth creation.

Ultimately, Nigeria will have enough food to eat and our desire towards becoming the world’s net exporter of foods and raw materials would become a reality. So let us without hesitation produce what we eat and these activities will help strengthened the naira tremendously.