Government at all levels have been challenged to prioritize agriculture in order to reduce the rising cost of food in the country.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Bisola Olusanya, made this call at a round table discussion in Lagos organized by the United Action for Change. The theme of the program was “Food Security in Nigeria: Challenges and Remedies.”
Olusanya stated that it was not surprising that President Bola Tinubu declared an emergency on food security some months ago, considering the rising cost of living and other challenges. She emphasized that food is equally important as infrastructure such as housing, roads, hospitals, and schools in improving people’s lives.
Olusanya expressed concern that most of the agricultural lands in Lagos have been encroached upon. She also highlighted the issue of underutilized lands acquired for agricultural purposes due to urbanization and rapid development.
Dr. Olajide Bashorun, former Permanent Secretary of the Lagos Ministry of Agriculture, believes that improved security around farmlands will lead to higher productivity for farmers. He stressed the need for synergy among security agencies to boost the confidence of farmers in returning to their lands. Bashorun recommended that the Lagos State government initiate an insurance scheme for farmers to mitigate losses after harvest.
Referring to his personal experience of losing 60,000 birds to a bird flu outbreak in 2016, Bashorun emphasized the importance of insurance, especially for goods in transit. He also called for financial support to farmers in the form of aids and soft loans, criticizing the high interest rates on loans from banks.
Bashorun highlighted the importance of road infrastructure and adequate power supply in the agricultural sector. He warned that without proper surveying, Lagos State risks losing all its agricultural lands within 30 years. He suggested that the country could learn from Malaysia, which encourages fresh graduates to enter agriculture by providing them with land and farm inputs.
Dr. Muiz Banire, the Convener of the United Action for Change, stressed the need for Nigerians to have a realistic understanding of the challenges in the agricultural sector. He criticized the conflicting government policies that hinder progress in the sector. Banire called for urgent government intervention to address the high food prices in the country. He also highlighted the lack of required logistics as a major challenge that discourages young Nigerians from investing in agriculture.
Banire shared his personal experience of investing in agriculture and praised the passion and resilience of Nigerian farmers who have achieved success despite the challenges they face.
