SEYI TAIWO-OGUNTUASE 

Stakeholders in the agricultural space have lamented the government’s insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians, as prices of food items continue to soar due to food shortage, stating that the government is not proactive enough in addressing the country’s food crisis. 

The experts, in separate interviews with Daily Independent, are of the opinion that there is no justification for the food crisis, as the country is abundantly blessed with everything needed to feed its population, as well as export to other countries in need. 

They called on the government and the organised private sector to invest more in the food system to make life easy for the common man while urging the government to come up with people-oriented policies. 

The stakeholders also condemned the N2bn social intervention funds given to each state government for palliative, stating that such money should have been invested in each state’s agriculture, which by now, would have yielded positive results. 

Adewale Adeoye, an activist, who is of the opinion that there is no justification for the food crisis in the country, said: 

“We have the land. We have rainy and dry seasons. It takes tomatoes some 90 days to mature, maize would take four to six months; cassava would take about nine months. Vegetables would take three months and poultry would harvest in 12 months.” 

Adeoye said that what is lacking is a creative mind. 

“We gave N2billion to each of the 36 states. They used the money to buy palliatives, which were distributed in weeks and the beneficiaries went to the toilet in a few days to throw away the N2billion. That would tell you the character of leadership that we have. 

“How can a family head use his whole salary to buy biscuits and milk without planning for the rainy day, without savings? N72b to all the states wasted in just a few days? Imagine those people who benefited are hungry again. 

“If we had invested N72b in agriculture, by now there would be surplus grain, tomatoes, cassava, and bread. They would even be cheaper. Today, the common man cannot afford bread, tomatoes, vegetables, okra. Everything is expensive,” Adeoye said. 

The issue of insecurity, according to him, is another major problem. 

He advised that the state should have control over security, which is actually local. 

“How can Policemen from Lagos protect farms in Nguru, Borno State? How can you deploy Police from Kano to police farms in Ekiti State? 

“This is wrong. The states should be allowed to protect their communities in line with the principle of federalism,” he said. 

On measures to put in place to tackle hunger in the land, Adeoye advised that the state government should ask each local government area to go to farming. 

“Communities should start community farms. Secondary schools in rural and urban areas should launch agro initiatives. 

“Food is the greatest human security. Without food, there will be discontent, anger, anguish, pain, and people will be pushed to extreme measures to survive,” Adeoye added. 

Prince Wale Oyekoya, an agriculturist and the Managing Director of Bama Farms, said that the country can only get out of this food shortage if the three tiers of government are ready to have people-oriented policies. 

“Production is the only way out, as we are not producing to cater for our almost 300 million people. I don’t see any relief anytime soon as our governments are not proactive and the citizens are very lazy, waiting for Manna to fall from heaven.” 

On security, Oyekoya said that the issue of herders and farmers has to be tackled head-on, adding that ranching by all states should be encouraged whereby open grazing should be replaced with ranches and farmers will be able to have confidence in farming again. 

He also said that farm settlements in all local government areas should be encouraged. 

“The government should be prepared to give out hybrid seeds and fertiliser to pupils, students in secondary schools, universities, and those in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to plant on assigned plots of land. That way, the youth will be encouraged to go back to the basics of agriculture and to catch them young.” 

He opined that the same seed and fertiliser should be given to civil servants to take home and plant in their backyards, as they will be able to feed themselves and sell the excess to the communities. 

He pointed out that the National and State Assemblies should enact the law of “Operation Feed the Nation,” where all the citizens should embrace agricultural practices as it was done in the 60s and 70s. 

Speaking further, he said that modern agricultural equipment should be given to farmers at subsidised rates to improve production output. 

He also said that soft loans and grants should be given to farmers instead of billions of Naira wasted on social intervention funds, which according to him, is a waste of the nation’s scarce funds that is riddled with fraud. 

“The state government should release land for farming backed with tractors, soft loans and seeds instead of real estate for now.” 

He added that the Federal Government should back off from agriculture business and allow state and local governments to function as they are closer to their people. 

Kabir Ibrahim, National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), in his view, said that the government and the organised private sector should make more investments in the food system, as well as roll out consumer protection initiatives to moderate prices generally. 

“I recommend that guided importation of clear areas of deficit should be allowed for defined time frames and quantities where found absolutely necessary,” Ibrahim said. 

On measures to be put in place to alleviate the suffering of the masses at this time, Ibrahim advised that farmers should be encouraged by the government to scale their production by doubling their efforts on stemming insecurity and providing better incentives, as well as sustainable subsidies. 

Sunday Ezeobiora, National President, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) in his view said that the only way out of the current food insecurity is for the government across all levels to provide security for farmers to their farm lands, dismantle all their economic hurting policies, actions and inactions. 

“Let me start from the local governments, we need all road blocks, levies and task-forces collecting money from farmers, middlemen and transporters dismantled. At the state level that is where we have the greatest trouble which is inaction.” 

He said that the states have neglected their role in food security to the extent that the states also blame the Federal Government over what they have powers to control. 

“The States are owners of the land. The states should have the data of the farms and agricultural commodities with their location but do nothing about it. The States know when the planting season starts in the territory but will never do anything about it until the planting season is far spent before they bring about interventions. 

Ezeobiora noted that unless states are deliberate about providing critical inputs like seedlings and fertilizers to their farmers this year, then next year will be worse. 

He added that the price of diesel has affected the cost of hiring tractors or any land moving equipment to clear and prepare agricultural land for cultivation especially in the South East because of the soil structure. “There must be State intervention to increase land available for cultivation and availability of high yield seedlings. 

“I don’t want to over flog the damages the actions and inactions of the Federal Government has caused. Many state governments collected maize as palliative from federal government and still horde it in warehouses and some sold it out at a higher prices. 

“The poultry industry are in dare need of maize to produce feed for our members, we did not receive attention from Federal Government, let me say that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Customs Services actions have further escalated the food crisis as importation of critical agricultural equipment and spare parts are now beyond the reach of companies. 

According to him, in the quest for revenue generation through duties, importing critical equipment and spare parts is no longer possible. 

“As we continue to run around trying to prove that what we imported are equipment the demurrage continues to go up. If I want to go further I will add that the touts (agberos) collecting revenues for states, police and military checkpoints across the roads collecting money from transporters of goods also affect the price of food especially in urban areas. 

On measures to put in place to alleviate the sufferings of the masses at this time, he said that the government at all level should dismantle all self inflicted injuries to the economy that Nigerians have been surviving without government food handouts. 

“Just allow Nigerians to be productive by providing security in farm lands for farmers to have free access to their lands, provide high yield inputs and be clear with the policy directions,” he said.