The failure of Nigeria to produce enough food on its own, according to former president Olusegun Obasanjo, is due to political leaders rather than farmers.
At a lecture held in honor of his 86th birthday on Sunday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, he made the claim.
Obasanjo voiced concern over the failure of Nigeria and Africa to grow the agriculture sector by utilizing advances in science and technology.
He urged Nigerians to place the blame for the continent’s food shortage on the nation’s political leaders.
However, I think that God did not create Nigeria as a basket case,” Nigeria was designed by God with a lofty goal in mind. At the time of its independence, the world did not refer to Nigeria as a “giant in Africa,” but rather as a “giant in the sun.”
Nigeria was more than just an African behemoth; it was an enormous country. We haven’t been giants in Africa either, therefore we haven’t even been giants in the sun. We were referred to as giants with clay feet by some.
Hence, it is not how God intended for Nigeria to be; rather, that is how we Nigerians have unintentionally or purposefully shaped Nigeria.
But I don’t think Nigeria will stay that way forever. Therefore, we must continue to maintain our composure, pray, and understand all the contributing factors and elements that have made us Africa’s dwarf rather than its giant. I believe and pray that we will succeed in doing so.
“Food security is crucial, and as long as Africa’s food and nutrition security is not mostly self-sufficient, we are not acting in our best interests.
Again, I didn’t know how much we in Africa, practically all of us in Africa, depend on the Russians and the Ukrainians for wheat until the Ukraine war.
There aren’t any other carbohydrates that can be grown in Africa that would allow us to be self-sufficient except for the wheat used to create bread. I am aware that several of our nations are unable to grow wheat, and IITA has been attempting to address this.
“Science and technology have provided us with everything we require for food and nutrition security in Africa; all that is needed now is political will and political action.”
In conclusion, if we are unable to achieve food and nutrition security, we cannot place the blame on scientists. Rather, we must hold politicians and farmers accountable, though I would argue that politicians are more to blame than farmers given my experience at both helms and my ability to tell you that farmers are capable of producing food and nutrition security if given the proper incentives and encouragement.
Source: PunchÂ
