The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has warned that Nigeria is on the cusp of experiencing a major catastrophe of food insecurity if extreme care is not taken.
The farmers’ umbrella body said judging from the macroeconomic instability arising from currency volatility, insecurity, climate change and inequity, the country needs to take drastic measures to avert an impending acute hunger.
In his new year message to Nigerians and particularly, Nigerian farmers, National President of AFAN, Ar. Kabir Ibrahim called on Nigerian farmers to come together and find a lasting solution to the hunger in the land.
“While not trying to sound despondent, I hasten to say that the attainment of food sufficiency for Nigerians in the first quarter of 2025 may be the elixir for the continued existence of Nigeria as a working unit,” he said.
“I say this with all sense of responsibility having been involved in Agricultural advocacy for the better part of my 66 years on earth.”
He noted that in 2024 Nigerians saw various efforts at stabilizing the country’s food system through various windows of support to the smallholder farmers (SHFs), the micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and the vulnerable people but food inflation is still at an all time high at 39.93 per cent which portends extreme hunger to a very good number of Nigerians.
“In 2025 we must coalesce as stakeholders/farmers with the government to get Nigeria out of the stranglehold of hunger and extreme poverty,” he said.
“We can only do this if we work as a unified body with common interests and operating from common ground.”
He informed that in the first quarter of 2025 and precisely around mid-February the association plans to hold a Presidential Round Table as Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG) as a wake-up-call to all SHFs,the entire private sector as well as the government and all its MDAs with cross-cutting responsibilities in Agriculture with the sole purpose of reinvigorating Nigeria’s entire food system.
“Upon the successful convening of the PRT, I believe we will be able to evolve a strategy to make Nigeria semi-food sufficient in the short-term within 2025 and in the medium-term in 2027 and finally attain sustainable food security in 2030!,” he said.
Arc. Ibrahim said it may appear ambitious but evidently doable through a collective resolve to extricate the country from looming existential challenges.
While wishing farmers and all Nigerians a prosperous 2025, he said the attainment of food security is the real renewed hope agenda.