_~_oQinion
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Combating food insecurity in Nigeria ood is the fuel that ener!;,iscs tht" botly for effectl\'e routine performance' and the
lack of food makel> an mdi\ldual lelhll~K:. indolen!. lind haught)'. II oil en \cad$ to 'iwingmg romollons. Unfortunntely. the import;!nl
ch~ky
and 11i\'Olol advantages of food to
life and to It counll')"5 econom)' hav(' ~n lembl}' downplayed, !Specially In devt'loptng nations. These- dC!"elopinJ!. economies, including Nigeria, will be e..~lr(':mel,- affected if paInstaking IIlId prngmatic drorts aren't lmmt'dinldy embarkNt IIpon This would in no !<mnll measll~ hllm~r food insecurity RelTlarkablv. the United Nalinn~ World Fond Prugrnmme has pte'dictcd Ihal 1jl25 million peoll\e don', have t'noll&h food 10 eat and 98 per~nl 0(ll1i5 prople Ih'e in emerging economies. TI'e food insec:urih' currently e.!Cpt'rienttd by Sl''I.'erni of Iht'St'
ceonomies, according 10 Ih~ 1996 World Food Summit. as thr> alHime access to 5urlicient, ~f('. nutrilioll5 food 10 m'lInlain a health\ living "'i" coherent definition nids in d('lennining whether a country is food ~ur('
or othel"\\;!':e. M('anwhil(', Nigeria-'I p~nOl>lic ollilook for food 1'!('Curil)" ciespitr- th(' laucL1bl(' attempt by some Iminbll' farnlel"'! 10 produce food. is gloomy. unforeseen lI,amng inlel"\'t'ntion from Ihe Federal Ool"PTnmf'nl, Nigerians may faC't' food ~hortages in the nexi few )"Pars. 'lli~ ominous and innocuolL" 5iluallun is not eased hy the fael that Nigeria is 'iUtrQunded by counlries lhat hal(' ('ncounl('red dreadlilland 5e'"pre drnughl!li in the past. Th('$(' nlltions!!.re Niger, Chad, and Mali al1lOngsl ullll~rs. The s.1d story of the rerenl famme in Somalia i!l !It ill being told ,,';lh so muc:h l'('!Iiignation h)interm'llionalaid parlners. Mall\people may nol cmnpare the chilolic situation in SOlmllia with Nigeria Still, it dOf"'; not ne&ate the fact Ihat Ni,.criR is at Ihe pt«iPlce of .. 'lC'rious food cri.....~ TIus sl!!.nce is signific"nU,' compounded b)' thc nnnchalanl ntlitnde of the I~mlllg youth towards agriculture. Farming has ~n abdirnled 10 onlv IhOM' who reoide in Ihe ,-illages. Ihus making agricuhu~ look like an ot"ClIl>'1tion for 'illagers aloll('. which is wrong. lronicall,), lIIallY of the youlh
in cities a~ IInt'mployed whh o"erwhe!Jmng thouS3l1ds applying for the f(OW available jollo;, while agricuhurallaJUl'l lie fallow and ne~leetcd Of rouro;e. Ihe powerHhntbe will not pa\ attenlion to food security as Ion" as there af(' other 'IO-nlled pressing sl... te matters and Nir,eria "111 continue 10 import food In reed her cili7.('IlS Aiml)<;\ e'·cf)1.hing is importcd 10 the country tooay, Th(' problf'1II of food :'II"Curitv is multifuceted IllS nol Ollt of place 10 sav thaI Ihe country is faCing II food crisis tx-caUSf! access 10 surticiellt, sore lind nutritious food is hugely lIon-6istenl or limited, Sir;nirtcanlly. some nongo~mmenl1ll organisations hn"(' ai('rt('(i th(' govemmc.n1 about an imminent food crisis in the cnunt.ry OXrlllll, an miematiolllli chil !=IXie!y group, engaged in llic fighl agaill'1t "Iabal fIO''I'rly lind hunger. hlld warned the gu\"t'rnmenl 10 1>000;1 the nalion'lI foo.-l security system lind prevent an imminellt food crisis As alwa,><:, thl' waming..o:; have bt-en i~nored P('rhaps, Iht' Federal Governments railurt' 10 ret'Ognise the potential of agrkultural development is llit, problt'm
Food 1II'1('("uril\' Clmllol be effeclin'h combatffi if Ihe continu~ 10 gcn'('mlllf'lIt pay lip sen;C!! 10 agriclliturt' Sm:tll·scale fannen ought to be supported. ellcouraKro_ mromu~d and t'ducaled TI,ev shtluld he gi'~n ilN.'enll\"t'''' m the form of inlcl'('!Iit·fI-ff lo.1n .. and monitored so thlt the In.1n!.l' a~ im't';5t('(1 judiciously Also, fnrmers across Ihe countrvshollid be taught lnodem farmin" It'C:hniques. Ap.rirllltm(' or farm in51>ectors should bt' allached 10 Ihec;r rilrms 10 educ31e Ihf' fnrmers , In addition, tax hn"en!! !<ltould be granted 10 importel"'! of (IIml machlncrv Fur1hermo~. Ihe ,-outh must undershtnd lit", IIAricuItUrt' t!; ~-eI1'bod{s business The tmlh is e.1eept the youths are colllpellt'd to lake 111' agriculture, we would keep nmninA ;"'.... ~. Perhal)" Ihe Nalionnl Youth St'l"\ice COTJl!Ii sllOukt be extended b,. On(' mort' yf'IH Th(' fir<;t ~{'IIr ~hol1ld h{' UII' usual j:{'n'lcr. while Ihe 5«Ond year !lihould be dedirnlcd 10 COTJ'~ memht'r< being senl 10 farms_ Without satish'lOg Ihl!St' crilcria Ih('\ w,1I not bf' allow~llo p1I<;<; oul Pal'l'lIls should also inln)(hl~ tht'lr children or wart!.;. into farmill'; h\ Cn[l8Ain,; Ihem<;('l.-cs
II Farming has been abdicated 10 only those who reside in the villages, thus making agriculture look like an occupation (or villagers alone I which is wrong
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in rRtlllllllt 100. Clultlrt'n ('a~iI)' learn fronl IhMrparr-nl~ 1\$ plut of their o;o('ial responsibiliTy. Mrpornlr orgnlllsahon~ mll;;t 'adol'!' (.'"us and 'llIJI~r1 (IIrITlC" financially ror btoltl'r oulpnl Nigrria mll!'t !'h('I~r- thf' idea of plrwln,. tht' big hrotht'r I" r_hnji\ other rountrit"" ",hile h~Tf'ltiV'lIc gl1 hunr;1"\ Soont'r 01 later, the outrap.('I')Uc prices IIf f()(wl "'uff~ would ~lflIt itCHing tn Ihf' P"Oplr Let U5 hope lwd pnn il dTl{'!; not trigger turbulenl cri~ in the rounlTV · OgUlUmt"Oke lil~$ ill 1J0d agry. l.ago$. lie wrote i n via sleck!litH,t'Y(d 9111oil, COlli
Dickson, Zuma and Bayelsa investment drive Francis Agbo ast month, Go,'enlOr St'riake Dickson or a.,~elsa Stale and hi~ In\'... ~llIIcnt Team Vl!'lti.'d .Iohannr-:;bur,:, Ihl" hu~ine<;.~ C,1pilal of South Africa, nn the imitation of President Jacob Zuma Th(' Octoher m('('tin~ Wit!' «equello 11t(' ,:O\ernor's lisit to tht' countn' li\St Mal , "heTt' 1115 team ~\o()cd l1ln'$lot'\ 10 Ihe ~tatc, These huslOc:s .. men lire e'lpccted to T('plicate 'Il')m(' of tht' infrastructure thnt makr South Africa a ~tmng eeonOI11\' III Bm'elsa State. TIll.. dme b .. Dick.~1II ie; hinll.w on his bt'liefth"t R.1\·e\~ has a Int to tap fmm the South African ('Conom)" which he describe~ a~ ha\ing all Ihl' trnppinlts o( a fin;t world econom) During th(' lnp, Ih(' governor Ibanked Zuma for offering credible t('adership to South African~_ sa,;ng that he is cllrrently emulnting the African Nillio"al Congrt'''''' by running 8i'Jyel~ State from Ihc Proplt'!'l Democratic Party headquartcrs in Yenag(la at lea.~1 nn« in a month. Tht' g(J\'t'mor ad"ised African leader< to go bn-und Npolilical inte,;rnli1m to inl~ralt' our Pf"I1ple economicallv hecallst' it is when w(' build a ~Iron!l. «onomic Im'1t" for our people that we can put rood On their labl('," While rolling out Ihe inl-e'itment potrntial of th(' stat('. the ,;ovemor said that gQl'!'rnmenl had put in platt' timet"sled insurance policie~ for all \n'-estOf"!ll and investment. lie snid his go\'ernm('nt has tumed the state into a ronstnu:titJn site b}' e:mbarking on ma<:C<:l\'(' road
II
Zuma urged top South African businessmen to take advantage of the conducive business envirorunent provided by Dicl<son to invest in the littoral state
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networks, the constntctioll or a deep ..ea port III AI1,1'Jte. modem airl'!)rt in Ycnn~o.1 lind olher infraslructurnl dri\-es, adding thai unlike in the last fi\e \'ear<;, the ~Ie now ha... enough <a ..in~'I 10 lIl('('t up \'.ith contractual agrttments nnd CUler for the rnlllY tin}" Whol appeared 10 have impl'!"'~1'(1 the prrsidcllt ",ignificantly was the free Mucnlion polic~ of Iknt'lsa State and the fae! thai the Coun!n'+p.Jnn go ... emordid nol gtl ttl the capital market 10 finam.'t' the projt'Ct1i and I>ro,;ramme:o R~pontJing, 7..uma urgl'd top Soulh AFrimn hU'I'inessmen 10 take ad\-anla,;e of Ihe ronduch'e business ('n"ironment pl"O\ided b~ Dickson ttl m"est in Ih(' liUornl state, While relishin,; Ihe bond betweell Dickson nnd Bayels.1ns, the I,rc«ident enjoint'd Ihe gOl'emOr to suslain bis lo"e for his people because according 10 him. "a r;ood politician 1111151 alwn~... \:It' in touch
with hispeolJle becau«e 1")litit~5slartsand ends"ilhthcm_~
After tht' COllrt~ tall. the Jl.m·emor and his tcam ho..~ed All in''(':5lment fomm. whcre the potential of till' Gltlr.' of All Lands WNC Inid bare, Dick"OlI w('111 do"'J1 memorv Illne on \\h\ it \,45 cT\lcial for his Slate t~ partner wilh South Afric:a and a..'l'iutro inl'MtOt"i of haloing a rt'tum ftlr their monev in Ba\·e\sa Stille lie stated Ihnt he is the firsl jtOl'emrU in Nig('ria to ha\'!' t'nnctl'tl ComlmlC:Ol1' Sa\ing.~ law and Tral1sp.art'II~' ami Accountabilil,- Law. which mak~ it compuLw!,) for governmcnt 10 'iIl\'(, ml1ot!)' fOT the slllie and render II(,COlmt to the people of th(' slnte becau~ in hi~ words Nthe ('Ieetorate hn\'e Ihe rigbl 10 knllw UI{' rt'c;ou~ attrum,lt to Ihe stale and ho" Ihr\ Art' '<penl \,hich to me i'l' a cardinal principal of dem'JetaqIII' htlwr"('r ~tllted Umt thc Soulh African iO\cslors still hin'e cntcial role< to plo),in the 'II ale he<:alL"I' according til him, "we want to mtegrat(' Afrie.1 economirnlh' and build African econom\' ,.';th African~ as dm"t'rs and in doing w, we ha\·e a 10110 lAP fmm the South African iM\'ec:t:ors,8ein,; onc of lh(' most peace(ul 'ltates in Ih~ counlf) a~ a rt'~ull ofth~ light ~ecllrily n('twork pUI in pla~ b)' government. the go\-ernor said 8a,-elsa is safe and ""ailin~ 10 be tapped b,. inn~:slors_ Apart from being the lorge~t producer of oil and gns in lhe COUlltl1', tlt(' go\-ernor laid hi$ audi~nce that Bay.. lom offl"r.t o \'oriel\' of inveslment opportunities in sectors such as agricuitUf('. t'neTK} ,
fio;herie .., infra.~Irn{'lurt', m:tnufactunn!l., I'I'''t'arch_ !liolid millf'rnl~, IlIlIrism, tnuul'0rtation and maM\ mtll1' Thl' go'erullr quI. ~wt' ha\'r II mandatr of our people which i", firml} ,lnthnr"d on re!ltorntion and dl','eltlpmf'nt tl( IJI\\elqns, To crf('C'tl\'el~' {In thl~. \'t' mu,,1 w"('rsif, ollr t'Conr)On II! ht' nRTTI hll~ine«; and tnuri<m Nt~('(1 I.ud..il\', th .. land and climatt' In R;Hf'I~a ~1.Itf' ~UPIWlrt \nunc:m and thr clltll\':ltinll IIf hnth fnod and CAsh cmp'" which iTwlude lIil 1':llm. nee. rlanlation.I>'1oana. \'am~_ ('11M yam, ('f'C('Ja, .....·l't't rotDtOf'~_ plllf'apl,le, ca~~a ..a, "IIRarcane, coc:tlnut and mam nlhers,N The Soulh Afn(Oln ('.nl't>rnmrnl \\,1" reprt''''ented at lht' in\'c~tmcnt (nmlll h, Iht' First Lath-. Mrs Nnmpumt'ln Ntuli Zuma and Ihe South Mri(';\n Of'l'uty Minister of Ect1nomic I'lnnnin!1;, I'mf Elizabeth n,abt'llh MII~f'7i l11t' mini~tt'r looked fOI"\"ard tn tht' signinR of MnU hetween South African Infnt ~lm(turt' [)e"e\ollUlent ('oTf")rnlion and Ha~dsrl Stale and emphll~i'it'd the willinR(lf"'~ of SoulhAfrica Il1lJ8nneTwith BII\'{'I"'"JStalc. hf'caUSl' in her won:l... "GI,,'eTIIOr Dicbon has put in IliaC(' m·huilt IIIH-;,mrt""", that arl' likely tn mnk(' hIS "'intI' an m'{""lor'~ destination:- While derltlrinR Ihtlt the procurement <:\~Icm in hpl" ('fluntn hlt~ undr-TKone reforms. she lIr~f't1 till' Ba.yt'.lsa Statc ('.n\·cmmenl Itl tiRhtcn 1111 Ihe procurement mechalli.c:m, a prot't""c, ~hl' elaimed i!.l' nflt'n ahust.'tI 10 IlI'rpctrnte frnud in lhe ~}'5Iem in Mrirn · Agbo. CI jou r n a lis t alld public
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