Oby Ezekwesili has rubbished President Buhari's claim of Food security in Nigeria.
Recall
that the President yesterday said the Agricultural sector under his
administration has recorded massive growth and development as more
billionaires have emerged through agriculture and most importantly,
there is full food security.
Describing President Buhari as a
''completely out-of-touch leader’', Ezekwesili who was a former Minister
of Education, lambasted the claims made by the President, Igbere TV
reports.
She described as a ''blunder'' Preident Buhari's
directive to the Central Bank of Nigeria not to issue Foreign exchange
to importers of food products.
See her tweets below;
“A
completely out-of-touch ‘leader’. He is cocooned away in the grandeur of
@AsoRock where they serve him delicatessen and praise-sing to him:
“Ranka dede Sir, your Agriculture Policy is working wonderfully. All
farmers in Nigeria are now Billionaires & exporting to the US”��
We
all know that @NGRPresident @MBuhari has absolute contempt for Data but
we shall go ahead and put out here some of the Knowledge he should have
had before making this latest blunder of ‘Directing’ what should be an
independent @cenbank to “not give a cent for food import”.
I
will share the latest information on Nigeria from FEWS NET, the Famine
Early Warning Systems Network, which provides information and analysis
on food insecurity around the world. That our @NGRPresident thinks we have achieved Food Security says a lot about his Policy-Making.
FEWS
Net is Famine Early Warning Systems Network. It “uses an integrated
approach that considers climate, agriculture production, prices, trade,
nutrition, and other factors, together with an understanding of local
livelihoods.”
Knowledge that helps Evidence-Based Policies.
In
the next few tweets, I’ll share highlights of FEWS Net June 2018 to
January 2019 Report on Food Insecurity in Nigeria for many reasons that
any reasonable person will easily understand.
“Humanitarian
actors have provided sustained food assistance delivery in 2018,
reaching 2.5 million people in April 2018 across the 3 northeast states.
In May, food assistance deliveries reached 15 percent fewer households,
meeting targets closer to what was seen in March 2017”
“With the
continuing military offensive, new arrivals continue to be identified
in the northeast. As of May, IOM identified 1.8 million people displaced
by conflict in northeast Nigeria. Between late Nov2017 &April 2018
an estimated 100,000 new arrivals across Borno & Adamawa...”
“Outside
northeast, the main agric season is progressing favorably in much of
the rest of the country, &harvests are expected to be average to
above-average. Most households will have seasonally typical access to
food,income& remain in Minimal (IPC Phase 1) acute food insecurity”
“Various
stages of cultivation activities continue throughout the country. In
south &some central areas, they have begun harvesting early green
maize&tubers. In other areas of central Nigeria, planting, weeding,
&fertilizer application for maize, sorghum &legumes is
underway.”
“Planting of staples such as millet, sorghum, and
maize, as well as groundnut, cowpea, and sesame cash crops, is
progressing in most northern areas. Government support through the
Anchor Borrowers’ Program continues to contribute to farmers’ access to
improved inputs.”
“However, areas worst-affected by
farmer/pastoralist conflict are facing greater difficulty accessing
basic needs and will be Stressed (IPC Phase 2).”
”In displaced
settlement areas and larger cities, affected populations have restricted
access to land for cultivation. Additionally, ongoing insecurity is
again in 2018 keeping many from engaging or participating fully in
cultivation.”
“Heavy conflict between pastoral and farming
communities in central and northern areas of the country also continue.
These conflicts have left hundreds dead and lead to the destruction of
property.”
”These conflicts are also leading to the displacement
of households and keeping many from their livelihoods. Both cultivation
activities and pastoralists’ herd movements are affected.”
“Main
agricultural season: The agricultural season is expected to progress
normally. The main season harvests will start normally in
September/October across the country. Harvests are expected to be
average to above average in most areas.”
“Exceptions are in
northeast areas affected by the insurgency and localized areas across
the country where conflicts between farmers and pastoralists are
disrupting cultivation”
“Main harvests will be substantially
below average in the northeast and likely below average in areas
impacted by the farmer/pastoralists conflict mainly in the central
states such as Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba as well as in
Zamfara.”
”As with most years, it is also likely that there will be some crop loss due to excessive flooding along major floodplains.”
I have put out highlights of FEWS Net Report on Nigeria up to January 2019. As
obvious from the Report, there are positives on Agriculture which for
example include improved farmers’ access to input from the Anchor
Borrowers Scheme. But, nothing of Food Security yet exists.
What is Food Security, @NGRPresident ? I
will offer the universal meaning provided by the United Nations’
Committee on World Food Security because that should help a Policy Maker
know easily whether such is the case in Nigeria before taking a major
Policy stance in Agriculture.
Food security, as defined by the
United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security, means that all people,
at all times, have physical, social&economic access to sufficient,
safe, & nutritious food that meets their food preferences and
dietary needs for an active and healthy life.”
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