The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has expressed concern over the huge demand-supply gap across all food crops due to the insecurity issue in the country, a recent report by AgroNigeria has revealed.
Specifically, the Chief Operating Officer of NESG, Dr Tayo Aduloju, stated this at the Agriculture and Food Security Nexus Validation and Consolidation Meeting in Abuja.
NESG COO warned that with the fast-declining rate of food production by farmers, the country is finding it difficult to meet its local demand, saying there is need for an urgent action towards food sufficiency. Aduloju, who doubles as the Project Director for a High Level Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals, called for a collective response to close the demand- supply gap and to possibly produce for export. His words: “Some of the jobs we are creating in agriculture remain unsustainable, we are importing more agricultural products than we are exporting. “The cultivation rate is going down. There is an urgency to act, there are things we can do internally and externally to make things better. “This is impacting heavily on our ability to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.”
On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Mr Earnest Umakhihe, noted that the SDGs remained a global call to put an end to poverty. Represented by FMARD’s Director Research and Planning, Mr Ibrahim Tanimi, the permanent secretary stressed that SDGs seek to secure the planet, and ensure that everyone lives in peace and prosperity by 2030.
According to him, the newly launched National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) 2022-2027 serves as the prevailing framework for promoting research, extension service delivery, access to finance and insurance, agricultural land productivity and rural community livelihood.
Source: The Real Sector; www.realsectornow.com;