Fighting Food Security, What should Nigeria Do

A summary of the Discourse by Lagos Business School Agribusiness Management Alumni Community Held on Monday 19th February, 2024 via Zoom

The discourse focused on the challenges and potential solutions for the agricultural sector in Nigeria. Dr. Ikechukwu Kelikume emphasized the declining contribution of the agricultural sector to GDP due to factors such as climate change and lack of policy direction. He highlighted the need for collaborative efforts to tackle the pre-upstream challenges to enable farmers to return to their farms and increase production. Adetokunbo proposed proactive measures to combat Nigeria's food insecurity, such as improving production, promoting non-oil exports, and partnering with other African countries. The importance of collaboration between the government and the private sector was underscored.

Dr. Ikechukwu Kelikume concluded by calling for collaborative efforts from all stakeholders to tackle the pre-upstream challenges to enable farmers to return to their farms and increase production.

Adetokunbo proposed proactive measures to combat Nigeria's food insecurity, such as improving production, promoting non-oil exports, and partnering with other African countries. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between the government and the private sector.

Dr. Ikechukwu highlighted the need for short-term, medium-term, and long-term solutions, focusing on low-hanging fruit crops with a short gestation cycle, and addressing displacement due to insecurity and climate change. He underscored the potential of Nigeria's agricultural sector and the government's role in addressing challenges such as insecurity, land access, science and technology, mechanization, research and development, innovation, and technical change in the pre-upstream sector.

Africanfarmer, recognized for his contributions to African agriculture, highlighted the importance of defining different types of farmers in Nigeria, their unique needs, and the challenges of investors misrepresenting themselves as farmers. He suggested focusing on value addition and comparative advantage in agriculture rather than just production.

Combating Nigeria's Food Insecurity

Adetokunbo proposed proactive measures to combat Nigeria's food insecurity, such as improving production, promoting non-oil exports, and partnering with other African countries. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between the government and the private sector. Dr. Ikechukwu highlighted the need for short-term, medium-term, and long-term solutions, focusing on low-hanging fruit crops with a short gestation cycle, and addressing displacement due to insecurity and climate change. He underscored the potential of Nigeria's agricultural sector and the government's role in addressing challenges such as insecurity, land access, science and technology, mechanization, research and development, innovation, and technical change in the pre-upstream sector. Africanfarmer, recognized for his contributions to African agriculture, highlighted the importance of defining different types of farmers in Nigeria, their unique needs, and the challenges of investors misrepresenting themselves as farmers. He suggested focusing on value addition and comparative advantage in agriculture rather than just production.

Commodity Boards and Nigerian Producer Challenges

Dr. Ikechukwu and Adetokunbo discussed the role of commodity boards in regulating prices and improving product quality, with Ikechukwu arguing against their re-establishment as a solution to Nigeria's current challenges. They agreed that the devaluation of the Naira has led to increased competition and challenges for Nigerian producers. Adetokunbo suggested that the government should focus on supporting production rather than setting price floors, and emphasized the need to explore new products for export. The need for the private sector to bridge the gap in product quality and price volatility was also highlighted.

?

Agricultural Challenges and Innovative Solutions in Africa

The speakers emphasized the need for collaboration and innovation, with a particular focus on cluster farming initiatives. They suggested that the government may not be the primary solution to these problems, and that individuals and communities should take the lead in developing solutions. The idea of forming a cooperative was proposed to pool resources and jointly address issues. However, concerns were raised about the ongoing security issues, which were identified as a significant challenge to the sector.

Government Intervention in Farming Insecurity

Participants discussed the issue of insecurity in the farming communities, with a focus on the need for government intervention. Kola, Rhoda, and Ikechukwu shared their experiences and concerns about the impact of insecurity on agriculture, highlighting the need for collective action against the government. Ikechukwu emphasized the importance of advocacy groups and policy influence to drive change. Richard also pointed out the government's responsibility in providing safety and security. The discussion concluded on the importance of government intervention as well as individual efforts such as self-sustainability through gardening.

Agriculture and Agribusiness in Nigeria

Participants discussed the role of commodity boards and the need for a coordinating body to standardize and promote production. They also emphasized the importance of small farmers and the need for supportive policies such as subsidies and low-interest rates, as seen in other successful agricultural economies like India. The role of government, private sector, and other stakeholders in addressing these issues was also highlighted. A future meeting was announced with the Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises of Nigeria.

Agricultural Challenges and Solutions

The session revolved around the challenges and potential solutions in the agricultural sector. Participants stressed the need for insurance against farm losses and emphasized the importance of food production. He also suggested encouraging individuals to grow their own food. Agatha highlighted the role of the government in tackling insecurity and orienting people towards farming. She also emphasized the need for collaboration and policies to combat land grabbing. Participants pointed out the lack of interest among young people in agriculture and called for strategic involvement of this demographic. Lastly, Elias underscored the importance of data in solving problems and navigating through security challenges. He also suggested an upstream approach to agriculture, focusing on risk and requiring substantial capital.

?

?