Ade Adefeko, director of corporate and regulatory affairs at Olam Agri, has called for urgent measures to address Nigeria’s worsening food crisis.
In an interview with Arise Television, Adefeko cited the UN World Food Programme’s projection that 31.8 million Nigerians will face acute hunger between June and August 2024 due to inadequate funding.
Adefeko criticized the declining agricultural budget over the past three years and emphasized that agriculture should be treated as a national security priority given the population growth and food insecurity affecting over 226 million Nigerians.
He urged the government to leverage Nigeria’s competitive advantage in staple crops like cocoa, sesame, and cashew.
To boost food production, Adefeko recommended increasing the availability of fertilizers and mechanization for farmers, improving seed varieties through agricultural research, and shifting from subsidizing consumption to subsidizing production. He highlighted the need for mechanized farming practices to enhance crop yields and address the food crisis effectively.
The UN World Food Programme attributes Nigeria’s food insecurity to conflict in key growing areas, high input and transportation costs, and heavy reliance on market purchases.
(Business Day)