Food Security: Scientist Reveals Solution to Achieving ‘Zero Hunger’ in Nigeria
- Following the federal government's declaration of a state of emergency on food security, experts have begun debate on a veritable solution
- While the debate is ongoing, some experts have begun to prefer solutions that could prove pivotal to restoring food availability in Nigeria
- President of UNESCO-REF, Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu, said equipping young women in agriculture would prove vital to restoring food availability
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FCT, Abuja - On Thursday, July 13, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency on food security in Nigeria.
It was gathered that this decision became necessary due to the inflation in food items in the market caused by insecurity in the northeast, northwest, and southeast.
Source: UGC
Most recently, the removal of fuel subsidies by the current administration further plunged Nigerians into acute hunger, thereby increasing the Nigerian population lacking access to food.
Reactions to this development revealed that some experts had envisaged the need for the President to prioritise agricultural integration to curb these exigencies.
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How women can be pivotal to food security in Nigeria
In an exclusive interview with Legit.ng Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu, a scientist and a senior fellow of the United Kingdom Association of Business Executives (BRAVE, LOYAL and TRUTH with The Extended Mind), revealed that women can play a pivotal part in agricultural integration and achieving ‘zero hunger’ in Nigeria.
Ladigbolu said:
“The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that women comprise 43% of the global agricultural workforce. This number goes up to over 60% in the least developed countries. Despite their key role in agricultural development, women have less access to technologies, information, resources, and finance for their agriculture activities across the globe.”
Ladigbolu, who also doubles as the President of the UNESCO Read and Earn Federation (REF), explained that an agricultural initiative had been put in place to stem the shortcomings of low food supplies even before President Tinubu declared a state of emergency on food security.
He revealed that UNESCO REF, under its Strategic Intervention Programme -ALPHA (SIP-ALPHA), had partnered with some organisations and relevant stakeholders to empower young women in agriculture.
He said:
“This Initiative is part of our commitment to contribute our quota towards actualising substantial attainment of the United Nations global goal before or by 2030 with emphasis on goal 2, which aimed at achieving “zero hunger”.
“Recognising the key role women play in agriculture, the launching of Young Women in Agriculture in Nigeria could not have come at any better time than now when food insecurity has become a major issue in Nigeria.”
Agro-tech empowerment for women
When asked how young women could benefit from the initiative, Ladigbolu explained that they would undergo training that would enable them to understand the best practice of agriculture and the business angle.
He said this training would enhance their productivity, efficiency, and income-generating potential to reduce poverty in society.
Ladigbolu explained that the benefit that comes with the initiative include enhancing national security through agriculture, enhancing student loan implementation through agriculture, preventing the increase of out-of-school children and enhancing the workforce of agriculture, and comprehensive advocacy about the diversity and value chain of agriculture in the country to boost forex and GDP.
Women in agric to boost national security - Prince Ladigbolu
On how the initiative can boost national security, Ladigbolu said they would be working with the police officer’s wife’s association and other national intelligence agencies.
When asked how it would be implemented, Ladigbolu said the implementation remains classified so that the hoodlums trying to jeopardise Nigeria’s agricultural sector would not be up-to-date with the information.
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He said:
“When talking about security, we should be careful that the hooligans we’re trying to curtail shouldn’t know our logic.”
Food Security: How Tinubu’s Declaration of State Of Emergency Exposed Buhari's Deception, Shehu Sani Reveals
Meanwhile, Senator Shehu Sani has revealed why Nigeria cannot have food security while bandits and terrorists are causing destruction.
The former lawmaker said food security could not be achieved when terrorists kill farmers and bandits force farming communities to pay levies.
Sani said President Bola Tinubu’s state of emergency declaration on food security had exposed Muhammadu Buhari’s deception about rice pyramids and the futility of closing land borders.
Source: Legit.ng
