Idiat Amusu, a lecturer at the Yaba College of Technology,
Lagos, has raised the alarm that up to 60 million Nigerians
go to bed hungry everyday.
Amusu, who is the head of the department of Food/Agric
Technology, said this while delivering a lecture titled
‘Reverse Engineering: Panacea to Waste Not, Want Not’ at
the eighth inaugural lecture of the college on Thursday.
Shee described food insecurity as at a critical
tragedy worldwide.
“Today, the issue of food insecurity worldwide is at a critical
stage. All of us cannot deny that it is a tragedy of today that
one billion people go to bed hungry everyday with a no
better tomorrow,” she said.
“Furthermore, it is uncomforting that over 200 million out of
the figure come from the developing world, especially Sub-
Sahara Africa with Nigeria contributing about one third of
this population.
“That is to say that every day, about 60 million Nigerians go
to bed hungry, this should challenge us as well as touch us
deeply.”
Amusu appealed to the federal government to fashion out
modalities for food security in order to reduce the level of
hunger in the country.
She said not being able to feed the populace is a serious
factor that gives rise to multi-dimensional problems.
“Nigeria must increase food production through the
development of relevant machinery and equipment to
process and produce more food,” she said.
“Food insecurity is a major concern to majority of the
developing world. Consequently, food production must
clearly increase significantly to meet the future demands of
an increasing and more affluent world population. We need
to help ourselves, in addition to increasing food production.
“We need to develop the equipment for adequate processing
and production to reduce hunger and become a food secure
nation. One sure way and tested procedure that has elevated
countries from not relevant to extremely relevant is to focus
on development of all the relevant machinery and equipment
that can kick-start our industries.”
She argued that there was enough to reverse the situation
but noted that lack of priority led to the current situation.
“Food insecurity, which has resulted in severe poverty,
commenced when we left our cassava for wheat, our
groundnut oil for palm oil, refined and packed back to us as
vegetable oil,” she said.
“Today, we import food to sustain the nation and export our
sweat abroad to enrich the farmers in Europe and other
countries. Our farmers go to bed without food and our
population is thrown into poverty.
“The burden is, therefore, on major agricultural producing
countries to provide the world food supply to a point where
innovative solutions that are culturally appropriate must be
devised and implemented globally.
“Countries must develop food systems focused at
enhancing agricultural production technologies, food
processing and preservation innovations. The food systems
should also include food distribution capabilities and
ultimately human health within the culture.”
Nigeria has a population of nearly 180 million people.



www.thecable.ng/60-millions-nigerians-go-bed-hungry

idiat?

AMusu I disagree with you. There is enough food in Nigeria now. The few matured who do not eat are the ones who are so lazy to put food in their mouths

all dis una stewpid stewpid lies one day I go slap person

True. That's what the Jonathan Government didn't understand when they were looting the treasury. I'm still surprised the PDP and its supporters haven't realized how much Nigerians don't want them back anytime soon

#babaonechance will do wonders He said he will feed our children in skools Change indeed

This is a misrepresentation of truth. If you are divinely provided for even in the midst of scarcity, click like

OGA!!
TIs ur talk sef dey make hunger catch me

U get food for ur Syd?

HELP A HUNGRY BRODA...

is this assumption or fact?