•Peter Obi
Labour Party presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, has called on African leaders to prioritise investment in agriculture as a sure way of tackling hunger and insecurity in Africa.
The former Governor of Anambra was speaking as a panellist at an international conference on food security in Kigali, the Rwandan capital yesterday.
Writing on his X handle, Obi said that the prevailing hunger crisis in Africa could only be tackled effectively by giving adequate attention to agriculture.
According to him, reducing reliance on food imports will help ease the strain on our currency, steady exchange rates, and rein in inflationary pressures driven by high food costs.
“Today, I was one of the panellists at the Africa Food Systems Forum 2024 held in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.
“At the session, I reiterated my long-held position that food insecurity in Africa is intrinsically linked to human insecurity.
“Using Nigeria as an example, I emphasised that solving food insecurity is a major path to general security in the country.
“By investing in agriculture and food-related productivity, Nigeria will not only be addressing the hunger crisis but will also create huge job opportunities for the teeming unemployed population, especially the youths in their productive age,” he said.
He stressed the need to further explore the untapped potential in food production in Nigeria and other African countries.
“Bangladesh, with approximately 148,000 square kilometres, less than 1/6th of Nigeria’s about 923,768 square kilometres, produces 35-40 million tonnes of rice annually.
“In contrast, Nigeria produces only 3-4 million tonnes of rice, which is roughly 10% of Bangladesh’s rice production.
“This disparity, which is similar to the African situation, highlights the untapped potential of Africa’s agricultural sector and underscores the need for investment.
“Food insecurity, if addressed properly in Africa, can be a catalyst for enhancing human security and promoting overall development,” he added.
He noted that with significant investments in agriculture and food systems, we could create jobs, reduce poverty, and tackle hunger simultaneously.
