Over 100m Nigerians food insecure, NESG calls for national response
 
Lagos, March 23, 2024 (NAN) The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), a private-sector think tank, has called for a national food systems approach to address the current food crisis in Nigeria.
 
This is contained in a policy brief tilted, `` Status of Food Security: Dimensioning the Crisis, Policy Options, and Strategic Responses’’ and issued by the Acting Head, Strategic Communications and Advocacy, NESG, Mr Ayanyinka Ayanlowo, on Saturday in Lagos.
 
The document which outlines urgent measures to address the current food crisis in Nigeria, is aimed to develop a comprehensive approach to alleviate hunger and offer practical solutions.
 
Ayanlowo stressed that Nigeria was in a significant food security crisis, with over 100 million people classified as food insecure.
 
This, he said, was due to a combination of factors, including rising food prices, conflict and climate change.
 
``In January 2024, Nigeria's food inflation surged to 35.41 per cent from 33.9per cent in December 2023.
 
``The number of food-insecure Nigerians increased significantly, from 66.2 million in Q1 2023 to 100 million in Q1 2024 (WFP, 2024), with 18.6 million facing acute hunger and 43.7 million Nigerians showing crisis-level or above crisis-level hunger coping strategies as of March 2024.
 
``This unprecedented crisis demands immediate humanitarian, social protection, and food systems responses.
 
``Despite a contraction in the Nigerian Agriculture Sector in 2023, resulting in reduced productivity, the nation is fortunate to face no climatic risks of famine or drought, as no part of Nigeria is categorised as High Risk or Moderate Risk and Deteriorating,’’ he said.
 
He said that a national food systems approach would address the crisis.
 
He said the approach to address the crisis includes measures to improve land security, soil security, seed security, mechanisation, harvest security, storage and post-harvest logistics security, and access to credit for smallholder farmers.
 
He also called for improved governance of the food security response to include strengthening the National Food Security Council and establishing a National Hunger Response.
 
Additionally, Ayanlowo emphasised the need for accountability in the food security response.
 
According to him, this includes establishing clear performance indicators for key institutions and holding risk owners accountable.
 
He therefore urged the Federal Government to adopt its recommendations and collaborate with stakeholders to address the food security crisis.