Nsukka, Nigeria – Dr Chigozie Okonkwo, a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), has urged the three tiers of governments in the country to create the enabling environment that will address food scarcity that is responsible for the high cost of food items in the markets.
Okonkwo said this in Nsukka on Monday, while speaking on what government would do to bring down the high cost of food items in markets.
He said government should, as a matter of urgency, address the issue of security challenges that had made many farmers lose their lives while many others abandoned their farms for fear of being attacked or killed by some herdsmen and armed bandits.
“One of the problems responsible for the high cost of foodstuffs is insecurity that has made some farmers lose their lives or attacked while in their farms by suspected herdsmen and armed bandits.
“In other instances, many farmers have seen their crops, worth millons of naira, destroyed by herdsmen and their grazing cattle.
“Because of this ugly situation, many farmers have abandoned their farms for fear of being killed, attacked or their crops destroyed,
this has resulted in low grains production that is responsible for the skyrocketing prices of food items.
“To tackle high cost of food items, the problem of insecurity must be addressed totally so that farmers can safely go back to their farms,” he said.
Okonkwo, holder of a doctorate degree in Political Theory from the Department of Political Science, UNN, harped on the need for government to always support farmers with climate change resistant seeds as well as grant free loans to local farmers without any collateral security attached.
“If our local farmers are given climate change resistant seeds and free loans as supports from government, it will boost agricultural production and help reduce cost of food items in the markets,” he said.
The Don advocated for tax holidays in agriculture investments to encourage local and foreign investors to invest massively in the sector.
He also advised government to build big grains silos in every local government in the country that would help release grains from time to time to complement grains produced by farmers in the country.
“It’s unfortunate that for some years now high cost of food items have become a serious challenge facing the country.
“If government will apply the above suggestions holistically, it will surely go a long way to address the present escalating food prices.
“Make food items affordable at cheap prices as well as help the country to achieve food security,” Okonkwo added.
