WEDNESDAY COLUMN BY USSIJU MEDANER
info@medaner.com, justme4justice@yahoo.com
The last two years have apparently posed an unprecedented food insecurity challenge to Nigerians. Of the over 220 million people in Nigeria, about 84 million, representing about 37 percent are currently living below poverty level. This poverty is caused by a list of factors that are interrelated;, including incessant conflict and insecurity, rising inflation due to weakened naira and the outcomes of some unfavourable and inconsistent policies over time, and of course, climate crisis occasioned by irregular rainfall. As of June and the present August lean season, the population of Nigerians facing acute hunger due to food insecurity increased from 18.6 million at the end of 2023 to 26.5 million. Access to staple foods has been an uphill task for the affected Nigerians; and the excessive high cost has become so unbearable for all and was probably among the listed reasons for the ill-timed protest we witnessed days ago.
Currently, there is a little respite. We are seeing some drop in prices of a few staples, though not as projected, but there is much more to worry about for the future. What happens to the net harvest of the current farming season? How do we respond to the irrational rainfall across the country during the current farming season? It is becoming worrisome by the day, as we witness very low rainfall across the country; creating a strong omen of greater food shortage to come in the near future, if we do not respond appropriately and proactively to address the low production of food in the current farming season.
We are faced with several worrisome situations, a sort of crisis as a large portion of farmlands in the North-East and part of the North-central remain non-cultivated as a result of insecurity; the insurgency and bandits control has sustained the displacement of hundreds of career farmers across the regions and thereby creating a drastic drop in the national food production capacity. While we know that this is a major contributing factor to the current food insecurity we face as a nation, it has persisted because farmers remain apprehensive of their safety and welfare and have not been able to return to their farms in the majority of these vulnerable areas, while even in some areas, the bandits are still very active in their nefarious and disruptive operations.
According to the annual rain forecast and the reality of rainfall across the country up till now, and getting almost to the end of the rain farming season, there have been projections in some respected quarters that we might not be able to produce enough food domestically to sustain Nigerians over the next year, until another harvest. This is indeed worrisome, given the unfavourable conditions of importation into the country currently and the long term implications of food importation on the national drive for self sustenance in food production.
We may all be aware of the floods ravaging farmlands across the Northern region of the country; ten states, including Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Zamfara, Yobe, Sokoto and Kebbi. They are all seriously affected following recorded heavy rainfall. Continuous rainfall has posed a serious threat to grain cultivation and farmlands and is already inhibiting and destroying harvest. Only in Dutse, according to public record, more than 2,800 hectares of cultivated farmlands had been washed away by flood in the last three months across twelve local government areas.
Yet, at the other corner of the country, the low rainfall induced drought has been the challenge bothering farmers and threatening projected outputs. The Kogi state government and farmers’ association have raised the alarm over the devastating drought threatening present crop cultivation across the state. For more than a month, the state saw no rainfall; and farmers’ expectations of bumper harvest is almost truncated, except there is a significant turn of events and a serious downpour begins immediately before it is too late.
We should sound the alarm of a real impending food crisis across the country. We need the North to feed Nigeria, and if it cannot supply the food, then there is a serious problem. The need for an urgent and direct government responses is now. The only way we can avert what is to come is to declare a state of emergency in the national food sector. We must do all it takes to save the country from hunger and starvation when the produce from the current farming season is expected to be handy but not forthcoming. This is the time for action, not politics. We cannot afford to have Nigerians pushed out on the street because of hunger anymore in the near future.
We would not solve this problem until we holistically evaluate the full factors responsible for the food problem we have been experiencing in the country and proffer working and practicable solutions to them. In order to mitigate the feared consequences of the current irregular rainfall on the country’s near future food security, it is essential that the governments and organisations at all levels take strong proactive steps to develop strategies for food production and accesses that can better supplement current food production in preparation for the coming months’ food needs of the citizens.
We have no option now but to react and respond immediately to the call and need of the time; taking workable actions to protect the national food systems, to ensure that our food security is not further hampered beyond what it is now. This would however require that the government at all levels, with the federal government playing a crucial leadership role, take actions now to prevent further food insecurity caused by the irregular rainfall and other climatic factors, before it comes down upon us.
These efforts should include investment in agricultural infrastructure, diversification of crops and food sources, food storage systems designed for long-term preservation, and training for local farmers on sustainable agriculture techniques. By taking actions today to address the impacts of climate change on food insecurity, we can ensure a future where food availability is not threatened by a changing climate.
This is time for action across the board. The President must prioritise the response to this as an emergency and engage all available national resources to respond appropriately. The state and local governments must follow suit accordingly to address the challenge now before the consequences come upon us.
This is the time we must engage multiple responses. We must seriously engage the services of experts and professionals to adopt water management systems that reduce crop damage from floods and drought. We can as well lead farmers across the country to implement sustainable farming practices such as a no-till agriculture, agro-forestry and cover crop where possible. We must preach the much needed involvement of all Nigerians in smallholder farming and find appropriate ways to encourage increasing small scale farming by as many citizens as possible.
This year, investment in dry season farming has to be tripled. There must be a marching order to all the ministries of agriculture at all levels to organise farmers to an unprecedented level of dry season farming to cover up as much as possible the losses of the current farming season. Large scale dry season farming cannot be restricted to regions of the North this year; urgent preparation must be made to embark on dry season farming across all the states of the federation, and it must begin now. Waiting till anytime beyond this month of August which is already a stretch would not work. The government must begin making special arrangements to support the farmers with inputs as much as it is necessary to encourage the level of preparations that would turn out the magnitude of output that would save the country from the probable food deficit that is likely to be caused by the current challenges.
This is equally the time we must also revisit government commitments to the nation’s River Basin infrastructure. The government must beef up security along the corridors of all the River Basins to allow for effective irrigation to power the much needed all year round farming forthwith. This represents a critical element of the nation’s dry season capacity. If we can get the River Basins all active for cultivation at this maximum capacity, then, we are getting it right with food production to cover up for the imminent shortfalls. Along with this, we must devise a way to address the insecurity in the Northern region, and bring out the full force of the capacity of farmers in the region to go to the farm for the dry season farming. Whatever has to be done must be done in these grave times. Solving the food problem is a priority and we must prioritise any appropriate action that would help realise it.
The government must also sensitise the teeming farmers, directly, and through the engagement of agriculture extension officers (AEOs), on the best choice of crops of interest, in line with the current weather forecast, and the needs of the nation. It is obvious that with the limited time at our disposal, there are crops that will fit much better into the farming equations and the dire needs of the country. These AEOs must also be able to talk to some of the farmers on the implications of the three months rain forecast on their chosen crops. There might be the need for them, in certain cases, to let go of current crops that have been adversely affected by both drought and flood, and re-prepare the lands for newly selected 3-month seeds and seedlings. And we must be careful to sway away from GMO seeds and seedlings; as they may never be in the interest of our needs. We have access to locally designed seeds and seedlings that can benefit us at this moment. IITA, Ibadan and reputable research institutions across the country should rise up to the occasion.
And then, we must rejig the national food storage system to meet up with the current reality. This action would also include promoting among the general population, sensitisation on food preservation techniques to curb food wastages.
Finally, in our quest to save the country from hunger, we must remember the place of animal husbandry in the mix; making available popular and staple livestock products such as fish, poultry products and cow meat for the Nigeria population is as important as making available food crops.
We cannot continue to allow ourselves to be caught repeatedly at this same spot year in and year out. We must elevate our systems to create early warning on extreme weather conditions and national directions to adapt to fluctuating weather conditions, and as much as necessary, invest in research and technologies that will provide a permanent response and solutions for us as a nation. It is embarrassing that we have to find ourselves at the position where we wait for these problems to come upon us before thinking of responses.
All hands must be on deck now. Everyone must come onboard with working solutions. We must altogether save our population from probable and impending real hunger; and the possible attendant health issues, malnutrition and even a new wave of crimes and heightened social and political instability.
GOD BLESS THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA!
