•Tinubu
Hours after no fewer than 60 people died from food distribution stampedes in parts of the country, the Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development (PAPSD) has urged the federal government to declare a state of emergency in the sector and make adequate provision for agriculture in the 2025 appropriation bill.
Executive Director of the civil society organisation (CSO), Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, in a statement today, said that “With over 36 million hectares of arable land in Nigeria, there ought not to be food shortage, hunger, starvation and disease.
“Governments at all levels should be committed to boosting agriculture, curb poverty, unemployment and insecurity in tandem with the provision of Section 14( 2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
“Unfortunately, the deaths from the food distribution stampedes have shown to the world that there is acute hunger and starvation in the country.
“It has become necessary for various governments to quickly address food insecurity in the country and bolster citizens’ standards of living.”
Last week President Bola Tinubu proposed ₦826.5 billion allocation to agriculture in the 2025 proposed budget.
The allocation indicates over 100 per cent increase from N362.94 billion in 2024 and N228.4 billion in 2023.
Presenting the budget at the National Assembly, Tinubu said a key element to drive the projected positive economic outlook next year will be bumper harvests, driven by enhanced security, and reduction in reliance on food imports.
“Food security is non-negotiable. In this regard, we are taking bold steps to ensure that every Nigerian can feed conveniently, and none of our citizens will have to go to bed hungry,” he said.
The Director General of the Budget office, Tanimu Yakubu, further explained that, “To ensure food sufficiency and reduce reliance on imports, ₦826.5 billion has been allocated to agricultural mechanization, irrigation projects, and value-chain development.
“This will not only boost food production but also support economic diversification and rural development.”
However, a few days after the government’s declaration over 60 persons lost their lives in tragic stampedes that occurred during food distribution in Ibadan, Abuja and Okija in Anambra State.
While commiserating with the families of the victims, PAPSD urged governments at all levels to urgently provide social amenities particularly access roads for effective and efficient transport of farm produce across the country, and to drastically reduce inflation which it said stood at 34.6%, “the highest in three decades.”
The statement continued: “We share the grief of the families who lost their loved ones at the distribution venues and pray for the quick recovery of the injured.
“We are saddened by these national tragedies during this festival period and urge security agents to be proactive and ensure public safety and order at palliative distribution centres.
“No doubt the organisers of these welfare distributions had good intentions to touch the lives of the less privileged; the tragedies that followed make it imperative that security agents must be notified on time to ensure seamless distributions and forestall recurrence.
“Government should also recruit extension workers, provide incentives to farmers, particularly affordable, accessible and sustainable credit schemes for small, medium and large scale farmers to boost agriculture. The need for modern machinery for increased productivity cannot be overemphasised.
“As we approach the new year, It is time to take governance seriously and provide the much needed dividends of democracy to assuage the sufferings of citizens.
“Together, we will make Nigeria great again.”
