By Calista Oyeoba / Posted January 20, 2025
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has expressed deep concern over Nigeria’s escalating food insecurity, emphasizing that it poses a grave threat to the nutritional well-being of its citizens.
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Speaking as reported by Vanguard, he noted that high food price inflation is exacerbating hunger across the country and called for urgent interventions to address the crisis.
Dr. Adesina highlighted the need for comprehensive strategies to expand food production, lower costs, and reduce reliance on imports. He emphasized that empowering local farmers is crucial to enhancing the nation’s food supply and making food more accessible and affordable for the population.
Drawing from his tenure as Minister of Agriculture under former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Adesina recounted a period when the cost of a bag of rice was approximately ₦8,000. Today, that same bag costs over ₦100,000, underscoring the dramatic rise in food prices.
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“The level of hunger in Nigeria is too high due to very high food price inflation. There is no doubt that Nigerian farmers can feed Nigeria. They did when I was Minister of Agriculture under President Jonathan. The price of rice at the time was N8,000 per bag; today it is over N100,000 per bag,” he said.
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The AfDB President urged the Nigerian government and private sector to collaborate on strengthening agricultural systems and increasing local production. He stressed that such efforts are vital to mitigating the food crisis and ensuring that millions of Nigerians have access to affordable and nutritious food.
NOTE: Calista is on Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) at DDNEWSONLINE.COM from the Department of Mass Communication, Ekocity Polytechnic, Lagos.