In the last 63 years of independence the challenges in the country’s agric sector have been critical as Nigerians battle food security sustainability, insecurity, climate change, price hike, among others, Taiwo Hassan reports

Intro

Indeed, it is regrettable that a country once known globally as an agrigarian economy with agriculture being responsible for most of her Gross Domestic Product (GDP) revenue is now facing food security challenges despite the huge amounts of money channeled into the sector. Infact, a larger part of the last 63 years has been sober for local farmers as the sector is currently being confronted by challenges in all fronts despite the efforts to increase food production capacity.

With the numerous challenges in the sector, stakeholders have expressed regret and disappointment celebrating the independence anniversary poorly. Already, it is no longer news that President Bola Tinubu had to declare a state of emergency in food and agric sector in a bid to revamp the lost glory.

Precisely, the agricultural sector remains key to Nigeria’s economic diversification efforts as the sector has been a consistent driver of the non-oil sector, contributing immensely to the overall GDP in the past. But since the inception of Boko Haram insurgents, the country’s agric sector contribution no longer holds the ace in Nigeria’s economic development. The present reality in the country’s agric sector is that the common man is struggling to put nourishing food on their table.

Worsening security challenges

One of the most challenging threats to Nigeria’s food security is insecurity in agric sector, following the farmers/herders clash, which has led to mass killings, kidnapping, banditry and others. In fact, the agric sector architecture today has been submerge by in- security volatility with local farmers abandoning their farms for safety since no presence of security agencies to protect them in their farms from Boko Haram and Herders men attacks.

Cumulatively, insecurity has impaired food sufficiency with con- sequences already being seen in skyrocketing prices and other agricultural challenges. This has prompted stakeholders in the country’s agric sector to be seriously concerned. It is scary that banditry, abduction, herders- farmers conflict, vandalism, and insurgency have become recurring incidences in Nigeria. The impacts of these crises on the Nigerian economy remain profound and multi-dimensional.

The crisis has crippled lots of private and public investments across the nation. In addition, many households have lost their means of livelihood. Many farmlands across the country have been destroyed with consequential impact on food production and security. So the biggest threat to Nigeria’s food basket of the nation in the last 63 years of independence is insecurity, and, to some extent, poor government policies.

Russia-Ukraine conflict

Following the lingering war between Russia and Ukraine, the threat to attaining food security in the country has further heightened because of the devastating effects on grains and other agric commodity importation. Indeed there is no gainsaying that the war is fuelling deeper fears about worsening food scarcity in Nigeria, as more people are falling into poverty bracket with supply chain disrupted in all ramifications.

With this, the ongoing war is not helping matters in Nigeria as it is portraying gloomy outlook for the economy and agric sector respectively. However, the most sustainable solution is for the government to boost local production.

A stakeholder’s view

Speaking on Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Day celebration, a key stakeholder in the country’s agric sector, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, expressed disappointment in the way the country’s agric sector is facing challenges in all fronts as she celebrates. Oguntoyinbo stated this during his independence anniversary message to Nigerians, just as he congratulated their steadfastness in the midst of challenging times.

He said the masses could not afford to be celebrating the anniversary when there is no food in their stomachs, no money in their pockets and worse, left to battle banditry, armed robbery and other kinds of insecurity. According to him, “it is indeed worrisome and a thing of concern that rather than celebrate this anniversary of nationhood, Nigerians across states and zones are left to groan and complain.

And do you blame them, when the economy has been biting harshly and insecurity worse?” Oguntoyinbo said further that all of the above problems were signs of failure of government, which sup- posed to create jobs so that the citizens can work and have a means of sustenance.

“It is the duty of government to provide infrastructure, secure lives and property, provide incentives for entrepreneurs to create jobs for peo- ple to earn a living and be happy. But what do we have presently? “In addition to bad roads, lack of electricity and jobs, Nigerian citizens also face injustice in the form of manipulated election results.

That is terrible,” the local farmer said. All of these, he also added, had made the independence anniversary, another period of gloom and groaning rather than that of excitement for the people. As a youth lover, opinion leader as well as philanthropist, he said it was in a bid to bring succour to the generality of the people, that he joined politics.

Oguntoyinbo, therefore, enjoined the electorate not to lose hope given the many years of betrayal of truth by the old brigade and selfish politicians, but rather believe the positive change in the nearest future. “Even as we commemorate this anniversary, my appeal to Nigerians is never to lose hope.

Instead, the failure of past governments to provide good governance should rather strengthen their resolve and faith in a better Nigeria. “I believe in it, and that’s why I am in the struggle towards the emergence of good governance, not just in our dear State Ogun, but dear country Nigeria. “I also implore other patriotic Nigerians to follow suit,” he pleaded.

Oguntoyinbo said the much-needed economic and industrial liberation for Nigeria, could only be made possible by consistency of the people for good political leadership. “So, as I salute Nigerians at independence, I most importantly appeal to all of us not to despair. I also appeal to our political leaders to give us good governance and ensure improvement in the life of the citizenry. This is the whole essence of leadership. God bless Nigeria, God bless us all”, Ajadi prayed.

Anti-open grazing bill

Another concern to food security challenge in the last 63 years of Nigeria’s independence has been the controversial signing of Anti-Open Grazing Bill into law by some state governments in the country. In addition, the bill is currently generating rancour between the North and the South and this is not helping the country’s agricultural development forward. States like Lagos, Benue, Rivers, Ondo, Oyo and others have already signed this bill into law.

GMO crops

Another major issue in the country’s agric sector in the last 63 years of independence is the approval of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) crops in the country without considering the interest of humanity and the environment at large. Although, the proponents of the GMOs crops in the country, the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), has been defending the GMOs and the impacts of biotechnology innovations in the country’s agric sector in terms of guaranteeing food security and eliminating food hunger in Nigeria.

However, the dichotomy in the GMOs space has led to some public health experts and agronomists calling on the Federal Government to review procedures for approval of genetically modified (GM) crops in the country, whereby they expressed concerns over the acceptance of several GMOs with questionable risk assessment processes. Specifically, these experts argued that some of the approved GMOs in Nigeria were largely predicated on claims by the applicants, stressing the need to get other opinions about any GM crop before approval.

The development, they added, would help protect the population in a way that consumers would be able to choose what they eat, emphasising that the regulatory framework should be reviewed like that of India, where about four parastatals participate in the approval process. According to them, the approval for GMOs should not only be left to the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), saying the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAF- DAC), the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) should also be part of the approval process.

Poultry sector

No doubt the scarcity and exorbitant price of grains, including maize, soybeans and wheat, has also taken a toll on the country’s poultry industry as Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) complain bitterly. Speaking at a PAN event recently, the Lagos State chapter cried out, calling for Federal Government’s intervention to save the industry from total collapse. Indeed, as Nigeria celebrated its 63rd independence day, happenings in the country’s poultry industry need to be brought to the front burner as the current situation is not helping poultry farmers

Last line

As it is, stakeholders are emphasizing that the last 63 years has not impacted positively on their businesses unless government tackles the key challenges confronting the country’s agric sector.