By Toluwalope Kareem

It is rather unfortunate that most of the foods needed in Nigeria are produced by peasant farmers who lack capital and modern skills to produce them on a large scale that would meet the requirements of the country’s teeming population. Yet, without food, no human being can survive. Thus, it is different from other commodities because of its importance to human existence and survival.

Recently, there was an embargo on the movement of food items from the north to the southern part of the country. The Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria had stopped its members from supplying and selling cattle and foodstuff to the southern region because of what it claimed was attacks on traders of northern extraction.

With this unpleasant development, it has become necessary for each region of the country to produce their own food, so as not to be at the influence of external influences. If a region of the country can suddenly decide to stop moving foodstuff to other parts of the country, there is nothing stopping the affected regions from returning to the farm and start the journey towards self sufficiency in food production.

It is pertinent to note that the production of food in other regions of the country would contribute to the income of both rural and urban dwellers. This would ultimately lead to the eradication of extreme hunger and poverty in the land. At a time when many are looking for non-existent white collar jobs, they can actually make much money from tilling the ground. This would invariably have a positive impact on the GDP of the nation.

Nigeria, which is the most populous country in Africa, has a population growth rate of 2.6 per cent annually. Thus, there is a huge and growing demand for affordable food among the rural and fast growing urban population. Meanwhile, agricultural productivity is low and inefficient in many parts of the country. Therefore, there should be substantial investments in domestic agricultural production and processing capacities in all regions of the country.

Also, climate change is a major factor that needs to be considered. Temperatures are expected to increase, especially in the northern part of the country. Rainfall would also continue to increase in the south, while the north is expected to face reduced rainfall. This means that the sharing of data and information on the effects of climate change, and adaptation strategies would be of help to farmers in different regions of the country.

More importantly, the government should set up policies that would help in the reformation of the agricultural sector by investing more funds in the system, which would lead to the expansion and embracement of geospatial technology and infrastructure.

To eliminate the increasing dependence on interstate/regional food movement in Nigeria, it is essential that productivity enhancing measures be implemented in the agricultural sector.

Originally published at Punch