The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last election, Peter Obi, has issued advice to the Federal Government regarding the persistent food crisis in the country.
His counsel, released in a statement on the occasion of the 2023 World Food Day on Monday, encourages the government to make substantial investments in agriculture as a solution.
The former governor of Anambra State emphasized that tapping into the fertile lands in the northern region of Nigeria for agricultural purposes could effectively mitigate the food crisis afflicting the nation.
He argued that such lands, if properly utilized, possess the potential to yield an abundance of food, catering to both domestic consumption and exportation.
Peter Obi expressed concern over the disruptive actions of non-state actors responsible for turmoil in numerous Nigerian communities, which have hindered food production.
He noted that these challenges have led to a situation where a significant portion of Nigerians exhaust their disposable income on food, often without adequate access to sufficient provisions.
His statement reads in part: “Consequently, a vast majority of Nigerians spend the entirety of their disposable income on food, which is often hardly enough.
“The horrible spate of attacks on farmers in Nigeria by armed and terror groups has continued to hinder food production and food supplies, therefore threatening to push the country deeper into a devastating hunger crisis. Lack of adequate investment in agriculture also contributes greatly to the food crisis in Nigeria.
“I have maintained that the vast fertile lands in the North, if put into productive agricultural use, will produce enough food for domestic consumption and for exports, which can give us more revenue than we generate from oil. Government, therefore, must invest heavily in agriculture to ensure sufficient food production for Nigeria and the global world.”