WORLD FOOD DAY: MAJORITY OF NIGERIANS NOW SPEND THEIR INCOME ON FOOD, YET NOT ENOUGH – PETER OBI LAMENTS
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Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the general elections of 2023, has bemoaned the fact that the majority of Nigerians now spend a disproportionate amount of their money on food, even if it’s not enough.
In a post on Monday, in honour of World Food Day, Obi said that the nation’s food issue continues to be a major problem for many households.
As a result, the great majority of Nigerians spend all of their discretionary income—which is frequently insufficient—on food.
In addition, Obi encouraged the government to act quickly to address the nation’s widespread food insecurity.
His words: “As the global community marks World Food Day today, we must remind ourselves of the present food crisis in the nation, and seek urgent steps to salvage the people from further hunger and starvation.
“Food crisis has remained a serious challenge facing many households in Nigeria, as the country is reported, by Global Hunger Index, to be facing a serious hunger level.
“With more than half of the population living in poverty, a report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has shown that over 90 million Nigerians face food nsecurity, thus posing obstacles to a healthy population and human development.
“In the 2023 Global Hunger Index, Nigeria ranked 109th out of the 125 countries measured, showing that we currently battle high level of hunger. Reports have it that Nigeria’s food inflation rate in August 2023 was about 30 percent on a year-on-year basis.”
He also bemoaned the fact that the nation is heading towards a famine crisis as a result of armed and terrorist groups’ persistent attacks on farms.
“The horrible spate of attacks on farmers in Nigeria by armed and terror groups have continued to hinder food production, food supplies and therefore, threatening to push the country deeper into a devastating hunger crisis. Lack of adequate investment in agriculture also contribute greatly to food crisis in Nigeria.”
“I have maintained that the vast fertile lands in the North, if put into productive agricultural use, will produce enough food for domestic consumption and for exports, which can give us more revenue than we generate from oil.
“Government, therefore, must invest heavily in agriculture, to ensure sufficient food production for Nigeria and the global world. Happy World Food Day.”
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