By: Abdulmalik Adetola Lawal

The Nigerian government has been urged to diversify the economy by focusing on agriculture and allow for increased food imports to alleviate hunger in the country and ultimately eradicate it. This call came during an interview with AgroNigeria featuring young Nigerians discussing the state of food security in Nigeria.

The urgency stems from the continuous rise in food prices, which many attribute partly to farmers’ inability to access their farmlands due to insecurity.

Mr. Toyib Ipinloju, a scholar of Human Resources Management at Ural University, Russia, disclosed this during an interview with AgroNigeria on the issue of food security and economics.

Some have pointed out similar steps taken by the previous administration that yielded limited benefits. Mr. Ipinloju argues for a more significant diversification of the economy towards agriculture, along with government support for entrepreneurship. 

This combined approach, he believes, would offer a stronger guarantee of promoting food security and ultimately ending hunger.

In his words, “The two most important ways the Nigerian government can limit or eradicate hunger are to diversify the economy, as it is currently heavily reliant on petroleum. We need a shift towards agriculture to produce our own food, which will directly impact food costs. 

“The government should encourage agriculture by supporting farmers through tax breaks, financial aid, and other initiatives. 

“Additionally, supporting entrepreneurship will lead to more employment opportunities, ultimately playing a major role in hunger eradication.”