The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last election, Peter Obi, has advised the Federal Government to invest heavily in agriculture in a bid to end the lingering food crisis in the country.
The former Anambra governor made the remark in a statement issued on Monday to commemorate 2023 World Food Day.
Obi argued that if the Federal Government agreed to utilise the fertile soil in the northern part of the country for agriculture, the food crisis ravaging the nation would be alleviated.
He said the land, if utilised, would produce enough for both domestic consumption and exportation.
Obi lamented how the activities of non-state actors causing mayhem in many Nigerian communities are sabotaging food production.
His statement reads in part: “Consequently, a vast majority of Nigerians spend the entirety of their disposable income on food, which is often hardly enough.
The horrible spate of attacks on farmers in Nigeria by armed and terror groups has continued to hinder food production and food supplies, therefore threatening to push the country deeper into a devastating hunger crisis. Lack of adequate investment in agriculture also contributes greatly to the food crisis in Nigeria.
“I have maintained that the vast fertile lands in the North, if put into productive agricultural use, will produce enough food for domestic consumption and for exports, which can give us more revenue than we generate from oil. Government, therefore, must invest heavily in agriculture to ensure sufficient food production for Nigeria and the global world.”
