The presidency has warned that Nigeria, Africa’s largest producer of cereals and grains, risks famine from early next year following a huge demand in the global market targeting the country’s surplus production.
Giving the grim forecast in a radio interview in Kano on Monday, a spokesman for the President, Garba Shehu, told Pyramid radio that the “huge demand for our grains in the global market is creating an excellent environment for the mindless export of Nigerian food across our borders and unless this is curtailed, Nigerian markets will be bereft of grains by January next year.”
The presidential spokesman said the Ministry of Agriculture advised the president to call the attention of all Nigerians to the issue which, if not addressed promptly, could lead to a shortage of grains in the country.
“Over the past year, providence has blessed Nigeria with a bountiful harvest of grains, more than enough to feed the country and to export to other countries,” Mr. Shehu said.
“At present, there is a high demand for grains from Nigeria, from African countries as distant as Libya and Algeria, and from places as far away as Brazil. However, the ministry of agriculture has raised concerns about a massive rate of exportation, which could lead to a shortage of grains in Nigeria by January.”
He explained that Nigeria currently enjoys a free market situation.
“President Muhammadu Buhari is not in any way opposed to or intent on tampering with that. On the other hand, exporters also have a moral obligation to make their produce available to Nigerians who live within our country’s borders, to ensure that our citizens have access to food.”
The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity the ministry of agriculture estimated that no fewer than 500 trucks loaded with grain leave Nigerian markets every week.
He listed the major markets involved in this troubling exportation to include the Dawanau market in Kano, Naigatari in Jigawa, Bama in Borno, and Ilela in Sokoto, as well as three other main markets in Kebbi State.
He further explained that President Buhari had on various occasions reiterated his plan for Nigeria to become a food-producing giant, self-sufficient to the point of depending very little on imported food.
“This noble plan could easily be defeated by the pull of the foreign market if food continues to leave our shores to feed people elsewhere. If care is not taken, Nigeria could face a famine by January,” he stressed.
“Building our country into the edifice we envision it to be will require sacrifice and strategy from every single Nigerian. Let us remember that charity begins at home,” Mr. Shehu said on the radio programme.
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The FGN should initiate a policy to build massive silos in all the grain production areas for beans, maize and other cereals and then buy these grains from the producers at competitive prices to deter excessive export of our grains. We need to manage our food production firstly to our own benefit as a nation. The ability to feed ourselves is first and foremost in our considerations as a sovereign state.