OMORROW is World
Food Day (WFD). It is a global date set aside by the United Nations (UN) in
pursuit of agricultural and nutritional sufficiency for the world�s bourgeoning
population.
Unfortunately, as the world marks this year�s food day, more
than 840 million people worldwide remain hungry and still more suffer from
micronutrient deficiencies.
Global efforts have proved most inadequate to reach the World
Food Summit and related Millennium Development goals of reducing the number of
hungry people worldwide by half by 2015.
These and related issues will form the major focus in this
year�s World Food Day with its theme of "Biodiversity For Food Security".
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations
celebrates World Food Day every October 16 in commemoration of its founding on
that day in 1945 at Quebec City, Canada.
This year�s theme on environmental protection may, however,
sound very lofty and far-removed from the harsh realities of several developing
countries, whose populations are still contending with serious issues of hunger
and deprivation. In many of these needy countries, government�s inertia in
agriculture, economic depression, rural-urban migration, ignorance,
desertification, floods and other natural disasters have combined to confront
the populace with the critical problem of insufficiency of access to basic needs
of which food is prominent.
As it is, many of these countries, Nigeria inclusive, cannot
meet their basic food demand hence it is virtually impossible for them to show
considerable concern for the environment and other life-forms as encapsulated in
the 2004 theme.
Nigeria�s agricultural decline in the past three decades has
remained a major strain for the country. For, in the face of inadequate food
production and supplies, social and other problems within a society are bound to
be aggravated.
A whole lot of political and social problems which threaten
both national cohesion and development in the country today can be located in
poverty and hunger.
Invariably, the World Food Day presents another opportunity
for Nigeria to re-examine its agricultural productivity standard and the
accessibility of citizens to food in adequate quality and quantity measures.
Over time, Nigeria has ceased from being an agricultural
surplus country to what it is today-a food deficit nation, characterised by
escalating food prices, severe food scarcity and post harvest losses.
Interestingly, President Olusegun Obasanjo has consistently presented a flowery
picture of Nigeria�s agricultural performance in recent times.
Specifically, the President announced at the last
Independence Day celebration that "agriculture recorded an unprecedented growth
rate of seven per cent and we plan to do better this year".
According to him, government�s ban on certain products has
unleashed boundless productive energy in livestock production and agriculture
yielding a strategic grains reserve of about 150,000 tons, the first ever in the
country�s annals.
It is true that this administration has made some
considerable efforts towards lifting the agricultural sector from its present
doldrums by way of encouraging credit facilities to farmers, youth involvement
in agricultural ventures and exports of cash crops notably cassava which have
combined to engender a six per cent growth in the sector.
Nevertheless, there is palpable evidence that Nigerian
citizens are hungry and costs of meeting basic food needs are prohibitive and
still beyond the reach of many.
The overall inability to develop the capacity for an
appropriate apparatus for equitable food production and distribution is a
testimony to the failure of policy, given the nation�s enormous arable land,
abundant rainfall, vast water resources and a favourable weather devoid of
vagaries of seasonal misfortunes.
Tragically, this sector which sometimes records a generous
harvest especially of fruits, vegetables and grains, equally contends with
post-harvest losses largely due to poor technology, epileptic energy supply and
bad planning.
We recognise that the agricultural industry is essentially
private sector driven hence it thrives on individual and group efforts and
collaborations.
However, it is the duty of government to provide an enabling
environment for farmers to thrive.
Nigeria has a long way to go in achieving the desired level of sustainability
that strikes a balance between meeting the enormous challenges of food needs of
its teeming population and protecting the environment from inherent dangers
ahead. Good agricultural policies and commitment by government can ensure the
securing of both desired ends. Nigeria has no choice than to amply enhance its
food supply standing.
