22nd Daily Trust Dialogue Communiqué

Food insecurity remains a pressing issue in Nigeria, with millions of people lacking consistent access to nutritious and affordable food. In December 2024, Nigeria’s food inflation surged to 39.84% from 33.9% in December 2023. The number of food-insecure Nigerians increased significantly, from 66.2 million in Q1 2023 to 100 million in Q1 2024, according to […]

Food insecurity remains a pressing issue in Nigeria, with millions of people lacking consistent access to nutritious and affordable food.

In December 2024, Nigeria’s food inflation surged to 39.84% from 33.9% in December 2023. The number of food-insecure Nigerians increased significantly, from 66.2 million in Q1 2023 to 100 million in Q1 2024, according to the World Food Programme (WFP). The WFP’s projection also shows that 18.6 million Nigerians are facing acute hunger, while 43.7 million others are showing crisis-level or above crisis-level hunger as of March 2024.

This unprecedented crisis demands immediate humanitarian, social protection, and food systems responses. 

The Daily Trust’s 22nd Annual Dialogue with the theme: ‘Food Security: Availability or Affordability?’ held at the NAF Conference Centre and Suites, Abuja, on Thursday, sought to interrogate this challenge. It also aimed to seek deeper understanding of what needs to be done to arrest the steepness in food prices which has put affordability out of the reach of millions of Nigerians.

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The event, which attracted dignitaries from across the country, had Rev. Fr. (Prof) Godfrey Nzamujo, Founder and Director General, Songhai Farms, Benin Republic as Chairman.

Other dignitaries that graced the occasion include former governor of Niger State, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Abbas Tajudeen, who was represented by Dr. Chike John-Okafor, Chairman, House Committee on Nutrition and National Food Security. The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Jibrin Baba Ndace represented the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris; the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), Alhaji Muhammad Abu Ibrahim; the Borno State Commissioner for Information, Prof. Usman Tar, who represented Governor Babagana Umara Zulum; Special Adviser to the Niger State governor on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso, who represented the governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago; and the Chairman of the New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC), Alhaji Lamis Dikko. Also in attendance were women and youth leaders, members of civil society organisations, development partners, and diplomats.

This year’s event was broadcast live on Trust Television, which is on StarTimes Channel 164; NigComSat’s Free TV; Moreplex 715; ArabSat Badr Sat7; AVO TV; and LIMEX World TV, as well as on YouTube and other social media platforms.

A key highlight of the event was the presentation of award to the Daily Trust Unsung Hero for 2024, Alhaji Wada Abdullahi Kachako. The award, which was presented at the annual dialogue for the first time since its 15 years existence, now replaces the Daily Trust African of the Year award, which has been rested.

The annual Daily Trust Dialogue is part of Media Trust Limited’s contributions to stimulating discussions by Nigerians and fellow Africans towards enhancing national, and indeed, African integration and cohesion, which are crucial for sustainable socio-political growth and economic development of Nigeria, and the African Continent at large.

Four eminent Nigerians were selected as panellists for this year’s Dialogue. They include Rev. Fr. Nzamujo, the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha; Ms Mira Mehta, Co-Founder and CEO, Tomato Jos and Arc. Kabir Ibrahim, National President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).

The Chairman of the Media Trust Group, Malam Kabiru A. Yusuf, put the wheels in motion in his welcome address where he queried why millions of Nigerians were experiencing food insecurity.

He posits that, “food items not recognised hitherto were now becoming difficult to access, citing an example of ‘Fura da Nono’. “It used to be in the villages and farms, what we take for granted.”

Yusuf said that though the markets are full of foodstuffs, most people lack the finances to buy them.

OBSERVATIONS

The management of the Media Trust Group was commended for consistently hosting the annual dialogue, which provides a forum for experts to critique burning national issues, for twenty-two (22) years.

Participants observed that the country is confronted with the reality where hunger and food insecurity remain significant challenges to millions of Nigerians. They noted that the current food crisis is fuelled by climate change, conflicts, population growth, as well as economic challenges like inflation and exchange rate fluctuations. They stressed that the food crisis is further exacerbated vulnerabilities across the nations’ food systems.

They pointed out that some agricultural policies are weak, often poorly implemented and consequently fail to address farmers’ needs effectively. They also argued that a fundamental flaw in today’s conventional food and agricultural system lies in their reliance on practices that ignore the planet’s natural principles and patterns, relying mostly on chemically intensive agriculture that systematically erodes critical elements in the soil.

The participants warned that the recent approval by the federal government for the importation of foodstuffs would not solve the food crisis confronting the nation.

They also decry that the 115 grazing reserves across the country are not being put to proper use due to lack of infrastructure.

 RECOMMENDATIONS

Arising from the above, participants called on governments at the federal and state levels to provide infrastructures to make states the agricultural business hubs.

They called for the deployment of technology to unlock the huge agricultural potentials of the country, advising further that the beginning of an agricultural revolution will be to make farming interesting to the youths across the country.

The participants also identified regenerative agriculture as the way to go, citing the Songhai Farms’ template.

They urge the government to pursue a transition to generative, eco-centric agricultural models that restore and amplify the life supporting functions of the microorganisms. These propositions were made in view of the observation that over 70 per cent of Nigeria’s land has been degraded.

They further posited that large scale mechanised production is the fundamental way forward for higher commercial yields.

The participants concluded that the country can produce more and better with less, adding that it is the primary way to make food available and affordable at the same time.