Nigeria faces significant hurdles over food security – Speaker Abbas

By Ochiaka Ugwu & Christiana Ekpa

The Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen has said Nigeria was currently facing significant hurdles in ensuring food security for all its citizens.

Hon. Tajudeen who made this known Thursday in Abuja at the 22nd Daily Trust Dialogue with the theme: Food Security: “Availability or Affordability?” said that food security was a pressing concern due to several interrelated challenges, ranging from agricultural productivity to economic instability.

Tajudeen who was represented by the House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Nutrition and Food Security, Hon. Chike John Okafor informed that with population exceeding 200 million people, Nigeria was one of the largest countries in Africa, but it faces significant hurdles in ensuring food security for all its citizens.

Continuing, he said the issue was multidimensional, involving aspects of food availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability over time.

According to him, “The recent floods across some parts of the country, especially the most devastating one yet in Maiduguri, Borno State has been projected to worsen food insecurity and malnutrition in Nigeria.

“Furthermore, the National Meteorological Agency has predicted more widespread flooding across the country. We are indeed on the verge of a major nutrition and food catastrophe if mitigating actions are not put in place.

 “Food availability in Nigeria is influenced by various factors such as agricultural production, climate conditions, and infrastructural development.

“Agricultural Productivity: Nigeria’s agricultural sector is primarily reliant on small-scale farmers, many of whom face challenges such as limited access to modern farming tools, financing, and education on sustainable farming practices.

“Although the country is known for its vast arable land and favorable climate for crops like rice, maize, cassava, and yams, low productivity and dependence on rain-fed agriculture make food supplies highly vulnerable to climate change and environmental shocks” he said.

While expressing National Assembly’s readiness to enhance food availability and affordability in Nigeria to support the renewed Hope Agenda of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he implored all to join hands and ensure that no child, be it in Damaturu, Yenegoa, Badagry or Kaura-Namoda goes to bed hungry.

Also speaking, Minister of Livestock Development, Mr. Idi Mukhtar Maiha said we were confronted with a reality where hunger and food insecurity remain significant challenges for millions of Nigerians.

He said the food crisis, fueled by climate change, conflicts, population growth, and economic challenges of inflation and exchange rate, has exacerbated vulnerabilities across our food systems.

“As a nation with vast agricultural potential, we must rise to the occasion with bold, innovative, and inclusive solutions.

“Hunger remains a pressing challenge in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa. “Despite its abundant natural resources and fertile land, millions of Nigerians face food insecurity daily. Addressing hunger involves tackling both the availability and affordability of food, as these factors are critical in ensuring equitable access to nutrition.

“In the 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI), Nigeria was ranked 110” out of the 127 countries. With a score of 28.8 in the 2024 Global Hunger Index, Nigeria has a level of hunger that is serious. Per capita milk consumption in Nigeria is low, at around 8.7 liters per year, which is well below the global average of 44 liters per person per year.

“The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that people consume 210 liters of milk per year. Per capita meat consumption in Nigeria is approximately 7.3 kg per year, which, while lower than the global average, is steadily increasing due to rising incomes and urbanization.

“There is a gap between current production and expected protein and energy requirement of the Nigerian population. By 2050 and beyond, available data suggests that animal-derived foods would have to supply 37.4% more energy and 9.0% more protein than currently exists to meet the additional energy and protein needs of the projected Nigerian population of 389.615 million”, he noted.