Authors canvass for food security n Nigeria

By Damiete Braide

Chairman, Board of Directors, University Press, Dr. Lekan Are, has said that it is through food security that Nigeria can build a strong economy. He spoke at the ninth edition of Authors’ Forum which held at the Kakanfo Conference Centre, Ibadan, Oyo State, with the theme; “Agricultural Policies, Programmes and Small-holder Farming Systems vis-a-vis Food Security in Nigeria.”
He insisted that the failure of government to pay adequate attention to agriculture, and fund it adequately would continue to make “our nation insecure when it comes to food self sufficiency. Recently, government has diversified its attention to agriculture, which can contribute significantly to our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“Food security refers to the availability of food and one’s access to it. A household is considered food secure when its occupants do not live in hunger or fear of starvation. While on a national level, food security is the ability of a country to produce sufficient food all year round to meet her food requirements both in quality and quantity.
“In the same vein, food insecurity in reverse and it exists when people are undernourished as a result of the physical unavailability of food, their lack of social and or economic access to adequate food.”
How can the country combat food insecurity? Are hinted that Nigeria could combat food insecurity through increased agricultural production, proper handling, storage and processing of produce to assure food availability all year round.
Keynote speaker, Professor Charles Livinus Anija Asadu, of the Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Management, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), said the fundamental objective of agriculture “is to ensure food security in a nation so that household has access to good nutritious food for healthy living. While national food security is defined as the ability of a country to produce sufficient food all year round to meet her food requirements both in quantity and quality.
“Several national agricultural policies involving many programmes and specific projects had been introduced into the agricultural economy of the country from pre-independence to date, yet self-sufficiency in food production is not in sight in the nation rather evidence of food insecurity and hunger abound virtually at every nook and cranny in the country. Importation of food items that can be sufficiently produced in the country has even become the order of the day.”
He lamented that in Nigeria, “food production does not satisfy local demands because apart from shortage in production, food supply is in two phases, namely, supply is abundant and food is cheap during harvest period while food is scarce and expensive during the period of planting. The technologies for processing and storage are very far from being adequate.”
Asadu added that government policies and programmes in Nigeria had their principal objectives, which abi-initio did not emphasize food crop production and subsequently neglected small-holder farming systems: “Most of programmes which in most cases were well-intentioned failed because of poor implementation and inadequate supervision. While the prospects for sustainable agricultural development and the provision of adequate food for Nigerians are promising but all it requires is the recognition of the roles of small-holder farmers and integration of the farming systems improvement programmes in the government policies and programmes.
“There should be support and encouragement from the three tiers of government in Nigeria to researchers, effective extension programmes as well as adequate and honest project supervision, With these Nigeria will attain globally competitive agricultural economy that is resilient and diversified bearing in mind that both human and natural resources are already in place.”
Dignitaries at the event included Prof. Ayo Bamgbose, Niyi Osundare, Akachi Ezeigbo-Adimora and Prof. Chukwuemeke Ike.

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