• Says food security germane for attainment of development

By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

A Professor of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, Abdulazeez Muhammad-Lawal, has declared that the attainment of all goals of livelihood activities in the most effective manner would continue to be a mirage without food security.

Muhammad-Lawal, who delivered the 244th Inaugural Lecture of the University of Ilorin, added that: “Food security remains the most veritable vehicle through which the populace can attain such goals in the most satisfactory manner, achieve the most desirable outcomes of their economic activities, makes ends meet and achieve sustainable livelihood.”

He described as unsatisfactory the level of food security and nutritional well-being, especially among the poor, majority of whom are engaged in agriculture and have low economic status, saying this portends a negative consequence for sustainable development of the country.

The Guest Lecturer lamented that, aside from the socio-economic circumstances of most rural households, factors such as vulnerability to climate change and dwindling fortune of agriculture due to conflict and insecurity would continue to contribute negatively to food security in Nigeria.

As a way out, Prof. Muhammad-Lawal stressed the need for an improvement in agricultural production and rural livelihood activities by the three tiers of government towards boosting food supplies and simultaneously increasing the income of farming households, and reducing the prices pay to access food.

He said: “There must be political will by the government to ensure that budgetary allocation reflects the central importance that food security has for the welfare of the populace. The implementation of the palliative measures to address the problem of emergency food insecurity should be carried out with fairness equity and efficiency.

“Interventions along food supply chains are needed to increase the availability of safe and nutritious. The implementation of Social Investment Programmes should support agricultural production aspects of rural livelihood through strategic subsidy of the production of major food commodities and and patronage of the rural farmers in the purchase of their commodities.

“Government should design policy strategies that would encourage technology transfer as well as ensure the use of modern farming techniques by the smallholder farmers. It is crucial to support the adaptation of sustainable agricultural technologies to local conditions and the needs of the smallholder farmers.

“It is necessary to have improved education for the chain of food handlers, especially from the producers to the consumers. This is necessary to be able to take steps to prevent or minimise food waste, and deliver fresh and wholesome food items that are safe and nutritious for human consumption at all times.”

The Inaugural Lecturer, however, noted that to achieve food security, security of lives and property must be guaranteed, while urging government to intensity efforts in solving the security challenges across the country, adding that there should be efforts to integrate humanitarian, development and peace-building policies in handling issues in conflict-affected areas.

He added: “It is imperative that policies and actions to reduce immediate food insecurity and malnutrition are implemented simultaneously with those aimed at a reduction in the levels of conflict and aligned with long-term socio-economic development and peace-building efforts.”