Agriculture as Panacea to Food Security and Development

Do you know that about 842million people in the world go to bed hungry, i.e. one out of every eight people, (FAO, 2013). Asia has the highest percentage, followed by Africa. Report on Africa Multiple Indicator Scorecard on hunger and Food Security revealed that Nigeria has the highest number of hungry people in Africa with a total 12.1 million, (FAO). Paradoxically, Nigeria has great potentials for agriculture, to meet the food security needs of her population; this include huge agricultural land mass, abundant water resources, good soils, human resources and huge market of over 171 million population, as well as extensive regional market. Agriculture is the foundation for food security and development; a food secured nation attains more rapid development than that which is food insecure.

The latter situation is noted to bring about chaos, insecurity, anger and complete destruction of lives and properties. Quoting Dr. Jacques Diouf, former DG FAO, at the Africa Food Security Summit in Abuja, 2006.

                “No civilization, no continent, no self-respecting country can allow the

            food security of its people, to be ensured or decided by others; from the depths

            of history, great empires and affluent kingdoms have come and gone. But, if we

            look closely at what contributed to their demise, we would often see that the

           main cause was the failure to meet the basic needs of the people, in particular food".

 

I therefore encourage the youths to try agriculture as business and reduce their crave for white collar job which is currently scarce. The Federal Government, through its Agricultural Transformation Agenda places  more emphasizes on agriculture as business and not as development programme. This is to draw more people, especially the youths into the sector as a sustainable means of livelihood. I hereby invite you to join me on the farm; taking advantage of the wide range of opportunities in crop production, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture as well as other downstream activities of agriculture.

I appeal to my friends on this platform to begin to eat what we grow and grow what we eat; in doing this, we will keep the commodity supply chain strong; we will empower our farmers more, reduce export of jobs and improve our economy. I am confessing to you that I eat only Nigerian rice and cassava bread and this is sincerely as a confirmation of my dogged commitment and patriotism to the socio-economic development of my dear country and enjoin you to come with me. 

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Thanks

M. O Adetunji