The Federal and State Governments in Nigeria have been urged to intensify efforts to ensure food security as the country joins the rest of the world to celebrate World Food Day 2025.
The Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Agric Times Online, Mr. Steve Osuji, made the call while speaking as a guest on Agric Food and Events on Radio; a programme on Radio Nigeria 1 (103.5 FM), on Saturday.
He emphasised the need for Nigeria to domesticate the celebration, which has the theme: “Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future”, to address local food challenges and improve citizens’ well-being.
“16th of October is celebrated as World Food Day which is celebrated worldwide in every country. It’s the day Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) was founded by the United Nations. That is why that day is picked to celebrate the World Food Day. I think in 1978 or 1979 the UN decided to make October 16th the day to celebrate it,” he explained.
Osuji further noted, “I think Nigerian government and Nigerians are celebrating it in their own way but it is a special anniversary this year because it’s the 80th anniversary of FAO so we expect every country to celebrate it in a big way having it in mind that FAO is also 80 so it is expected that Nigeria is going to celebrate it in a big way.”
On how Nigeria can better domesticate the celebration, Osuji said, “I hope that the government both at the federal and state level should sensitise the people. First of all the government needs to sensitise itself and also sensitise the people on what to do in agriculture.
“Nigeria has not fully adopted agriculture as one of the ways to develop the country. You cannot develop as a country if you don’t adopt agric as a major strategy. If you don’t adopt agric in growing your country then that country will never grow because you have to feed yourself first and feed yourself well.
“A country with a people that are not taking three square meals a day is not a well fed country and not a country that is serious about development,. You have to be able to feed your people well but what is the situation in Nigeria? We have the highest number of malnourished children in Nigeria today,” he lamented.
Continuing, the expert said, “I don’t think half of Nigerians are eating three square meals a day and if they are eating three square meals, what is the content of the meal, what is the protein content?” He asked.
Complaining about food policy, Osuji lamented, “We don’t even have nutritional standards and people just eat carbohydrates alone. We are not really doing agriculture well and we need to do that quickly.”
On what the government should do, he explained, “The government is doing things but not yet enough and it has to be prioritised. The growth of agric in Nigeria is 0.07% you can check it out. I’m not criticising the government but I’m saying it so that the government could pick the gauntlet and begin to do better.”
Speaking on the roles of both government and the private sector, Osuji stated, “The private sector is more active and if the government is doing half of what the private sector and individuals are doing, agriculture will grow. There are one or two very big agric companies in Nigeria. There are dozens of conferences on agriculture in Nigeria, individuals are trying, I know many green house farms springing up.
“A lot of things need to be done to revolutionise agriculture in Nigeria. If there is a will from above. If we have better ways of getting fertilizer and seedlings, these are the enablements we need.
“Production per acre is too low to be profitable, but if the government can support to give you the maximum yield per acre then you are happy and you’ll continue to be happy as a farmer. People are doing things but they are not enough,” he said.
*Report by Dayo Emmanuel
