Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has criticized the administration of President Bola Tinubu, citing the alarming rise of hunger in Nigerian households.
In a statement on his X page, Obi expressed concern over Nigeria’s regression under Tinubu’s leadership. He lamented that a country once known as the “Giant of Africa” and home to the continent’s most arable land is now struggling to maintain its status.
The former governor of Anambra State highlighted the irony of Nigeria’s food crisis, given the country’s abundance of fertile land. He described the situation as heartbreaking, particularly as many families can no longer afford basic sustenance with their current incomes.
He said: “In the past, I used to lament that the majority of Nigerian households spent most of their income on food alone, sparing none for savings and other critical exigencies. Today, it is heartbreaking to note that most Nigerian households are no longer able to afford sustenance food with their income.
“Today, the world marks World Food Day, a very significant global event that raises awareness about the issues of hunger and food insecurity and serves as a reminder of the need to commit to food security and fight hunger to a standstill. This global observance is particularly important to us in Nigeria, where food prices are skyrocketing every day, and basic food items are becoming unaffordable to most people.”
The Anambra-born politician highlighted a recent World Bank food security update, released last week, which compares Nigeria’s worsening food crisis to that of war-torn countries like Yemen.
He noted that the country is witnessing a significant increase in the number of people facing acute food shortages, resulting in an epidemic of hunger.
Citing the Global Hunger Index, Obi emphasised that Nigeria is ranked among the 20 most food-insecure nations globally. He said in August alone, over 31.8 million Nigerians were reported to be acutely short of food due to security challenges and the removal of fuel subsidies.
“It was also reported that 15.6 million children in Nigeria were facing hunger. The United Nations predicted that 82 million Nigerians, about 64 per cent of the country’s population, may go hungry by 2030 if the government fails to tackle the menace of food insecurity.
“The domestic food inflation in Nigeria remains among the highest globally, with food prices increasing by 37.5% year-on-year as of August 2024. I believe these reports, sad as they are, only paint a lenient picture of the severity of the food crisis and hunger in reality”, said Obi.
Obi further stated that the key to addressing food insecurity and resolving the current food crisis lies in shifting Nigeria from a consumption-driven economy to a production-based one.
He highlighted the country’s greatest asset—its vast uncultivated lands in the North, combined with a large population—and stressed the importance of strategic agricultural investments.
He said: “A state like Niger State, which is twice bigger in landmass than the Netherlands (excluding water) can neither feed itself nor feed the nation, while the Netherlands exports over $100 billion worth of agro products annually.
“If we can prioritize investment in agriculture by combating insecurity which has kept farmers away from the farms, and adopting modern ways of mechanized farming, we will be able to combat hunger and achieve food security for the nation.
“A nation booming in productivity, free from hunger, with an abundant food supply remains our commitment to a New more prosperous Nigeria. It is possible.”
