By Gabriel Ewepu

AS Nigerians join the rest of the world to celebrate the new year, farmers, under the auspices of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, yesterday warned that Nigeria was on the verge of experiencing a major catastrophe’ of food insecurity, if extreme care was not taken.

The warning was given in a statement signed by the National President, AFAN, Arc Ibrahim Kabir, who also is the President, Nigeria Agribusiness Group, NABG, as part of his New Year message.

He expresed deep concern over the present hunger situation that had adversely affected the lives of Nigerians and farmers as well.

Kabir asserted that he raised the issue with all sense of responsibility, having been involved in agricultural advocacy for the better part of his 66 years on earth.

He called on governments, development partners, institutions, and farmers to join hands and synergize to urgently intervene and arrest the ugly situation.

He said: “Nigeria is on the cusp of experiencing a major catastrophe’ of food insecurity if extreme care is not taken judging from the macroeconomic instability arising from currency volatility, insecurity,climate change and inequity.

“While not trying to sound despondent I hasten to say that the attainment of food sufficiency for Nigerians in the first quarter of 2025 may be the elixir for the continued existence of Nigeria as a working unit.

“I say this with all sense of responsibility having been involved in Agricultural advocacy for the better part of my 66 years on earth.

“In 2024 we saw various efforts at stabilizing Nigeria’s food system through various windows of support to the SHFs,the MSMEs, the SSPs and the vulnerable people but food inflation is still at an all time high at 39.93% which portends extreme hunger to a very good number of Nigerians.

“In 2025 we must coalesce as stakeholders/farmers with government to get Nigeria out of the stranglehold of hunger and extreme poverty.

“We can only do this if we work as a unified body with common interests and operating from common ground.

‘’In the first quarter of 2025 and precisely around Mid-February, we have planned to hold a Presidential Round Table, PRT, as Nigeria Agribusiness Group, NABG, as a wake-up-call to all SHFs, SSPs,the entire private sector  as well as the government and all its MDAs with cross-cutting responsibilities in agriculture, with the sole purpose of reinvigorating Nigeria’s entire food system.

“Upon the successful convening of the PRT, I believe we will be able to evolve a strategy to make Nigeria semi-food sufficient in the short-term within 2025 and in the medium-term in 2027 and finally attain sustainable food security in 2030!

“It may appear ambitious but evidently doable through a collective resolve to extricate our country from looming existential challenges.  This is the real renewed hope agenda to my mind!”