“No one whose stomach is totally empty can be persuaded that his need is not for food, but for entertainment.” Professor John K Galbraith
TearscametomyeyeswhenI readrecentlythattheWorld Bank (which some of us love to hate) announced that it was spearheading the effort to raise $300 million in cash and food items from all over the world in order to reduce the mortal impact of famine in the North East of Nigeria; where about seven million Nigerians are at risk of perishing for lack of food.
Thebankisnotpromisingthemamusem*ntor something absolutely dispensable. It is embarking on giving those in danger the first basic need of all animals – FOOD.
When a week after, it was announced that the Federal Government has approved N90 billion subsidy for pilgrims to Mecca, it became very clear why black Africa is backward; and might remain under-developed for centuries.
Ourleadersfrequentlyexhibitpoorsenseof priorities.
As an economist, of one thing I am sure. The N90 billion spent on pilgrimage – whether to Mecca or Jerusalem, would earn zero return on the investment. It is pure waste at a time when Nigeria can least afford it.
Our national predicament went from bad to worse when the Accountant General of the Federation, AGF, disclosedthatthe FG collectedN320 billion revenue in the first quarter, Q1, of this year — instead of the N2.1 trillion budgeted.
Thus, a government which had generated N1.8 trillion deficit, and which had been borrowing recklessly, still considered it wise to give away thirty per cent of its miserable earnings to fund a jamboree for a very small percentage of Nigerians.
Mr Atedo Peterside, said the gesture will send the wrong signals.
Hewasbeingpolite. Ithinkitwillreconfirmtotherest of the world that Africans are really retarded.
Otherwise, whatisonesupposedtohonestlysayabout a nation, which in the last nine years – including May 29, 2023toMay29, 2024– whichhadbeenliving onthebegging bowl; andwhoseleadersstillplacefundingpilgrimageat the top of its priority?
“Theworstthingthatcanhappentoaleaderistolook back and find that nobody is following”. US President Lyndon Johnson,
MyarticlepublishedtwoSundaysago, titled, LetsPray For Tinubu to Succeed, induced the most disheartening response ever to any article since 1994.
Notonlywerepeople, mostlyyoung, askingmetostop wasting my prayers on Tinubu, the curses and maledictions were stunningly shocking.
One message specifically asked me: “how can you continue to pray for a man who squanders N90bn on pilgrimage with all the problems we have in Nigeria?”
Admittedly, Ihavenotconducted apoll, and possibly no one has done it also. If the impromptu comments made by young Nigerians about this government represents the views of the 18 to 40 years group of Nigerians, then it is quite clear that overwhelming majority has lost faith in this government.
Labour certainly has; after the shocker of N48,000 minimum wage per month. How anyone in a serious government could imagine that N48,000 per month represents the best they can do is a mystery to me.
Labour leaders now have a problem on their hands.
Those who speak without modesty generally have a difficult time eating their words.
On Monday, May 13, 2024, I had an article published onthispagetitled‘UnpleasantSurpriseAwaitsNigerian Workers’.
In it, the reasons why Organised Labour was raising false hopes among workers were outlined.
Giventheextensiveinvestigationsundertakenbefore thatcolumnwaswritten, therewasnodoubtinmymind that Labour would be lucky to get N70,000.
The Federal Government, on the very next day, announced N48,000.
Labour leaders are still too dazed to offer a counter offer. That is perfectly understandable – given the gap between N615,000 and N48,000.
OnlyGodknowshowLabourleaderswillclimbdown from their inordinately high perch.
But, that is what happens when top decision makers are not quantitative in their analysis.
Even Lagos and Rivers cannot pay N200,000 without going bankrupt within a year; not to talk of Nasarawa, Ebonyi and Ekiti.
Thatsaid, themainobjectiveof writingtoday’sarticle isto draw theattention of PresidentTinubutoan impending food crisis which must be addressed urgently before it becomes a calamity.
Virtually all the global institutions conducting on-goingresearchintonationalfoodproductionhaveconcluded that Nigeria is one of several countries worldwide likely to suffer from acute food scarcity this year.
The North East is expected to be the worst affected based on a combination of factors – late rain, drought, pests, flood later in the year, withdrawal of Anchor Borrowers Programme support and insecurity. Nigerians read reports of terrorist kingpins being eliminated by security forces. But, no farmer, hiding safely somewhere, will return to the farm the next day.
More work is needed on security before rural people nationwide will return to their farms.
Thisyear’s harvestisprojectedto be worsethanwhat we had in 2023; which was worse than the 2022 productivity.
Thatexactlyistheproblem; to whichtheFederalGovernment is addressing its mind – other than applying conventional wisdom, which has already failed us.
Two well publicised interventions will help to illustrate the point being made about conventional approach to increasing food output.
The CBN and Niger State government recently announced initiatives expected to boost food supply in Nigeria and Niger State in particular.
The bank announced that it would supply several million tons of fertiliser this year.
Niger State acquired tractors for use by its farmers to speed up land clearing.
Good intentions were on display by the bank and the state on the two programmes.
But, good intentions are never enough to achieve intended results.
After terminating the ABP and announcing that it would henceforth face its core mandate, it was a policy errorfortheCBNtoonceagaingetinvolvedwithfertiliser purchase and distribution.
That is the function of the Ministries of Agriculture nationwide. Corruption invariably creeps in.
But, that is onlyone fault with the initiative. Fertilisers areonlyeffectiveif appliedattherighttimebythefarmer.
With farms in most states under the control of terrorists and kidnappers, farmers don’t go to farm at will anymore.
Tractors need drivers. And in rural areas of Niger State, adriveraloneisaseating duckformurderoushoodlums– unlessthedriversaregoingtobeaccompaniedby security men. Even then, it might still amount to putting several people in mortal danger.
Obviously, the success of the two initiatives will be severely limited by pervasive insecurity.
Yet, Nigeriamustproducemorefoodtofeedagrowing population in order to avert large scale famine this year and 2025.
Theworldisgearing uptohelpprovidesomefoodthis year. But, unless we demonstrate that we are prepared to face the challenges of food production, donor fatigue will soon set in.
At any rate, we cannot expect to remain global almajiris forever.
It is therefore imperative, that we device new ways of producing more food by adopting alternative methods of feeding ourselves.
Nigeria’s Food Warriors – N180m Solution.
“Thetimeisaquartertomidnight.” NormanBorlaug, 1914 – 2009, Nobel Peace Prize Winner in Agriculture, 1970.
Borlaug, generally recognised as the father of the Green Revolution, made this statement when receiving his Nobel Prize.
The world then was on the brink of food disaster.
TheGreenRevolutionpulledmankindbackfromthe precipice. Since then, global population explosion and climate change have combined to push us back towards the abyss – particularly in Africa.
Biotechnology came to the rescue briefly and now genemodifiedcropsareagainracingtodefenceof hom*o sapiens – who have demonstrated very little wisdom with respect to sustainable food security.
TO BE CONTINUED
