By The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has raised the alarm over an impending food shortage in Nigeria’s North-East region, calling on the Federal and state governments to take urgent steps to address the situation across the region.
The warning was highlighted by an agricultural expert in Adamawa State, Alhaji Usman Suleiman Pallam, during an interview with journalists in Yola.
Alhaji Pallam urged the Federal Government and state governments in the region to intensify support for farmers by providing essential farming inputs to boost dry-season farming, noting that this would help bridge the current food gap and avert a full-blown food crisis.
He explained that farmers in the North-East face numerous challenges during the rainy farming season, particularly the high cost of inputs such as fertilizer, pesticides, and other agro-chemicals, which he said has resulted in heavy losses for many farmers.
According to him, whenever early warning signs of food insecurity emerge, it becomes the responsibility of government at all levels to take proactive measures to prevent the situation from deteriorating, thereby ensuring a better standard of living for citizens.
Alhaji Pallam stressed that ensuring food availability for the populace is a core responsibility of government, adding that all relevant stakeholders must work together to address the challenges confronting the agricultural sector.
He also advised farmers to remain committed to agricultural activities and exercise patience, noting that sustained dedication would help them avoid falling into severe economic hardship.
A recent report by the World Food Programme indicates that about 55 million people across Africa are facing hunger, with a significant number of them in Nigeria.
