There is hunger in Nigeria

Speaking last week Monday, October 14, 2019 at a news conference to mark the 2019 World Food Day, Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Sabo Nanono said this country is producing enough to feed itself and that the narrative of hunger was erroneous. His statement caused shock across the country because it flies […]

Speaking last week Monday, October 14, 2019 at a news conference to mark the 2019 World Food Day, Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Sabo Nanono said this country is producing enough to feed itself and that the narrative of hunger was erroneous. His statement caused shock across the country because it flies in the face of reality. World Food Day is celebrated in October every year to mark the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations in 1945. It is a global event that draws the attention of the international community to commit more resources to achieving zero hunger and malnutrition.

The minister said it was wrong to insinuate that there was hunger in Nigeria, adding that there were only inconveniences which are being addressed by the federal government and relevant stakeholders like the FAO. He said, “From what I am seeing in this conference room, there is no sign of hunger but obesity. Only a few people like me are either trying to balance their diet or is it fasting that is responsible for the way some of us look?”

Nanono also said, “I think we are producing enough now to feed ourselves and I think there is no hunger but if you say inconveniences I would agree. When people talk about hunger I laugh because they do not know hunger. If you go to other countries you will see what hunger is”.

On fears that insecurity and flood may lead to food shortages, the minister said, “Although there has been flood and insurgency but I think the surplus that will be created in other parts of the country will balance up food shortage in other areas. In Nigeria, we are lucky that one of the food security spots is in Dawanau market, Kano. What we need is to reorganise our markets to solve the problem of malnutrition and other issues.”

Nanono’s assessment of hunger from the appearance of those who attended the World Food Day press conference was built on a wrong premise. One, persons suffering from real hunger couldn’t have made it to the occasion. Two, quantity of food isn’t the same as its distribution. Three, hunger is not a disease, infectious or viral, that should necessarily present discernible symptoms. It is a condition that could be caused by insecurity, poverty or famine.

For example, insurgency in northeast Nigeria has turned farmers in that region into Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), restraining them from engaging in farming activities. Without leaving the shores of Nigeria, the minister would notice hunger with a visit to any IDP camp in the country.

There is an apparent disconnect between the minister’s claims and some realities including official reports which indicate a decline in the farming of food crops as farmers now prioritize the cultivation of cash crops. Statistics show more than half of the country’s population live on less than a dollar per day, a subsistence level that falls below the poverty line. Though an oil-rich African nation, more Nigerians live in abject poverty.

Speaking on the high cost of imported wheat, the minister said if Nigerians decide to stop consuming wheat bread the problem would be tackled. He said bread is food for the elite and that ordinary Nigerians eat more of local foods for breakfast than bread. This assertion, too, is not absolutely true. Whether in cities or the countryside, modern life has turned bread into a staple food for many people including low income earners because it requires no preparation and could be eaten as a meal with or without any sauce accompanying it.

Mohammed Nanono was a top figure in the private sector. Going forward, we urge him to carefully choose his words when making public comments on critical matters. Such comments should also acknowledge the reality of situations and outline solutions to it, not merely wish problems away in order for the government to look good.