Oby Ezekwesili has rubbished President Buhari's claim of Food security in Nigeria.

Recall that the President yesterday said the Agricultural sector under his administration has recorded massive growth and development as more billionaires have emerged through agriculture and most importantly, there is full food security.

Describing President Buhari as a ''completely out-of-touch leader’', Ezekwesili who was a former Minister of Education, lambasted the claims made by the President, Igbere TV reports.

She described as a ''blunder'' Preident Buhari's directive to the Central Bank of Nigeria not to issue Foreign exchange to importers of food products.

See her tweets below;

“A completely out-of-touch ‘leader’. He is cocooned away in the grandeur of @AsoRock where they serve him delicatessen and praise-sing to him: “Ranka dede Sir, your Agriculture Policy is working wonderfully. All farmers in Nigeria are now Billionaires & exporting to the US”��

We all know that @NGRPresident @MBuhari has absolute contempt for Data but we shall go ahead and put out here some of the Knowledge he should have had before making this latest blunder of ‘Directing’ what should be an independent @cenbank to “not give a cent for food import”.

I will share the latest information on Nigeria from FEWS NET, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, which provides information and analysis on food insecurity around the world.
That our @NGRPresident thinks we have achieved Food Security says a lot about his Policy-Making.

FEWS Net is Famine Early Warning Systems Network. It “uses an integrated approach that considers climate, agriculture production, prices, trade, nutrition, and other factors, together with an understanding of local livelihoods.”

Knowledge that helps Evidence-Based Policies.

In the next few tweets, I’ll share highlights of FEWS Net June 2018 to January 2019 Report on Food Insecurity in Nigeria for many reasons that any reasonable person will easily understand.

“Humanitarian actors have provided sustained food assistance delivery in 2018, reaching 2.5 million people in April 2018 across the 3 northeast states. In May, food assistance deliveries reached 15 percent fewer households, meeting targets closer to what was seen in March 2017”

“With the continuing military offensive, new arrivals continue to be identified in the northeast. As of May, IOM identified 1.8 million people displaced by conflict in northeast Nigeria. Between late Nov2017 &April 2018 an estimated 100,000 new arrivals across Borno & Adamawa...”

“Outside northeast, the main agric season is progressing favorably in much of the rest of the country, &harvests are expected to be average to above-average. Most households will have seasonally typical access to food,income& remain in Minimal (IPC Phase 1) acute food insecurity”

“Various stages of cultivation activities continue throughout the country. In south &some central areas, they have begun harvesting early green maize&tubers. In other areas of central Nigeria, planting, weeding, &fertilizer application for maize, sorghum &legumes is underway.”

“Planting of staples such as millet, sorghum, and maize, as well as groundnut, cowpea, and sesame cash crops, is progressing in most northern areas. Government support through the Anchor Borrowers’ Program continues to contribute to farmers’ access to improved inputs.”

“However, areas worst-affected by farmer/pastoralist conflict are facing greater difficulty accessing basic needs and will be Stressed (IPC Phase 2).”

”In displaced settlement areas and larger cities, affected populations have restricted access to land for cultivation. Additionally, ongoing insecurity is again in 2018 keeping many from engaging or participating fully in cultivation.”

“Heavy conflict between pastoral and farming communities in central and northern areas of the country also continue. These conflicts have left hundreds dead and lead to the destruction of property.”

”These conflicts are also leading to the displacement of households and keeping many from their livelihoods. Both cultivation activities and pastoralists’ herd movements are affected.”

“Main agricultural season: The agricultural season is expected to progress normally. The main season harvests will start normally in September/October across the country. Harvests are expected to be average to above average in most areas.”

“Exceptions are in northeast areas affected by the insurgency and localized areas across the country where conflicts between farmers and pastoralists are disrupting cultivation”

“Main harvests will be substantially below average in the northeast and likely below average in areas impacted by the farmer/pastoralists conflict mainly in the central states such as Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba as well as in Zamfara.”

”As with most years, it is also likely that there will be some crop loss due to excessive flooding along major floodplains.”

I have put out highlights of FEWS Net Report on Nigeria up to January 2019.
As obvious from the Report, there are positives on Agriculture which for example include improved farmers’ access to input from the Anchor Borrowers Scheme.
But, nothing of Food Security yet exists.

What is Food Security, @NGRPresident ?
I will offer the universal meaning provided by the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security because that should help a Policy Maker know easily whether such is the case in Nigeria before taking a major Policy stance in Agriculture.

Food security, as defined by the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security, means that all people, at all times, have physical, social&economic access to sufficient, safe, & nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life.”

Source; http://igberetvnews.com/897667/a-completely-out-of-touch-leader-ezekwesili-slams-buharis-claim-of-food-security-in-nigeria/

No truer words have been said. The man is in another realm.

The guy is finally insane, he wants to destroy not only the country but the people in it as well.

Madam, please

what this one is saying? Is Madam Oby favour our country to continue depending on the importation of food? Does Madam Oby want us to be an employer of foreign farmers while our numerous graduate roaming the street without employment? Madam Oby with her knowledge and expertise should have known we can
not continue to waste our hard-earned foreign exchange on a luxury of food importation instead of much-needed infrastructure development.
As technocrats she is, I expected Madam Oby to support this good government policy and suggested steps to be taken to accomplish success that will benefit our economy. I expected her to suggest a solution instead of politicizing on every government policy.
As a farmer, I will like to see the government going beyond stop of foreign exchange to food imports. But ensure that foods imports is heavily taxed as luxurious goods. The government must see to it that commercial banks give a single digits loan to the farmers. Also, customer service must live to their responsibility and patrol all our porous border to check the smuggling activities.
I have enjoyed the CBN interventions funds before but they should increase such intervention so that many farmers will be captured in the schemes. Enough is enough, we can not continue to funds the employment of foreign workers through our stupidity while our children can not be engaged in economic activities at home.

Why is everyone avoiding this topic?

Ugly flat head, you were among the people that brought this beast upon us. Just because the dullard didn't compensate you with appointment you are now disturbing our space. Sango fire you there

He means food security for cows

Probably Lie Mohamed and Audu Ogbe told him that Nigeria is now feeding both US and China.

The idiot doesn't know that CBN is an independent body. Shame!

Bet9ja,MTN data and fake website users,

Stay away

She was part of those that created the beast

our president is living in the past.

Where in the world will a leader make a policy statement without adequate inputs and advise

Lol

They don't know people are dying of hunger daily in large numbers due to food shortages. Many do not have the money to buy the food stuff which are sold at very high price.

Those that went to school please explain

True..
Food security is when everyone has reliable access (physical, geographical and financial) to sufficient quality nutritious food at all times..
Massive increase in food production doesn't translate to food security.. ( there are pre & post-harvest losses, factors impeding food processing and preservation, roads from farms to markets/processing plants are bad or non-existent )
Giving a bunch of children school children food doesn't translate to food security...
Having some people doing well in agriculture doesn't translate to food security
High rate of unemployment...
What percentage of the population afford highly nutritious food daily
Let's not even talk about the killer herdsmen/bandits destroying farms

Alrty

Bubu

Buhari is a disaster

EternalYouth:
what this one is saying?

Simple sentence you can't even construct.

This woman is one of the many educated idiots we have in this country. A hypocrite to the core.
I wonder how her likes sleep at night with such weight of hypocrisy on their chest.
The same Buhari and APC she has been criticizing and calling all sorts of name now was the same person and party she helped and foisted on Nigerians.
If she had been given a post in this government, I doubt she would be here today foaming in the mouth all over the place against Buhari.
She's a classic example of what our young girls shouldn't aspire to be.

What has this woman done to help this country? We can all ask ourselves.

Does he even know how foods get to his table?

DameB:
True..
Food security is when everyone has reliable access (physical, geographical and financial) to quality nutritious food at all times..
Massive increase in food production doesn't translate to food security.. ( there are pre & post-harvest losses, factors impeding food processing and preservation, roads from farms to markets/processing plants are bad or non-existent )
Giving a bunch of children school children food doesn't translate to food security...
High rate of unemployment...

very true

Ripama:
What has this woman done to help this country? We can all ask ourselves.

she was once a minister, she has tried her best. What have you done for Nigeria?

ask yourself your question

EternalYouth:
what this one is saying?

Well, this same man said he lifted 5million people from poverty when it has been reported that 25million Nigerian live in Multidimensional poverty. The man is just never going to be alright for this nation.

Northern Nigeria that does not care for quality of leadership and would accept whatever puts akara in their mouth cannot continue to dictate who leads Nigeria. Their ignorance and outright tribalistic and dunce method of politics cannot continue to determine our direction as a people.

This country must become regionally led.

0coded80:
our president is living in the past.

are you sure he is not brain dead?