The Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Agriculture and Agro-Allied Group, has affirmed that President Bola Tinubu’s declaration on state of emergency on food production is in line with its demand at the beginning of this administration. The Chairman of the group, Kola Aderibigbe, in an interview said that the body is happy that the government is listening and implementing some of the suggested ideals highlighted then.
“It is a laudable declaration by President Bola Tinubu to channel some savings from the subsidy funds to revamp agriculture in order to get out of food insecurity in Nigeria. We at LCCI Agro group are in support of it. A state of emergency on food security can help to ensure access to food and the protection of livelihoods during and immediately after an emergency, primarily through cash assistance and in-kind transfers. It can also restore and reinforce community and household assets, capabilities and strategies to improve food security and secure livelihoods during recovery phases, following a disaster or crisis.
“Strengthening food security, expanding climate-smart and green livelihoods, and building household resilience by supporting improved rural and urban production, self and paid employment and entrepreneurship are also some of the benefits of a state of emergency on food security”, he added. Aderibigbe, however, said that the group was concerned that it should not be the government efforts alone, but that individuals should have a role to play, saying “We all need to reduce food wastages and preserve food items appropriately. We need to go back to planting some basic stuffs in our backyards or within our space. There are modern ways to plant through green house farming”.
Speaking further, he stated that government should have what is call a timely policy reform, intervention and investment in agricultural research to facilitate the progress of green technologies revolutions, which would assist in adoption of the high-yielding crops varieties combined with better irrigation infrastructure. Aderibigbe added that government needs to prioritise the attainment of self-sufficiency in food grains production and achievement of the nutrition requirements as a short term goals. “This should aim at raising agricultural productivity, fostering diversification and boosting rural infrastructure, to focus on developing the crop-sub sector so as to raise rural income and generate employment opportunities for the poor rural people”, he added.
