Jul 28, 2024
Just as some Nigerians are planning a nationwide protest against the harsh economic conditions, especially rising prices of food items, a study has revealed utter neglect; lack of funding, insecurity and above all, laziness as the cause of food crisis in the six states of the South-West region of Nigeria.
The report of a research carried out by the Department of Mass Communication of Crescent University, Abeokuta, over a three months period revealed that food security in the region – regarded as an agricultural model in the country – was a self- inflicted crisis which has made the region fully dependent on the northern parts of the country for food items.
The report revealed that the year 2021 when crisis broke out between northern settlers and the indigenous people,
conclusively showed the dependence of the region on the North for food supply.
The defunct Western Region as at 1966 had 20 farm settlements which was the largest among other rehibs in the country complemented with five agricultural research and training institutes to back farming.
Today, the settlenents and training institutes have been neglected by successive government that now turned to the federal government for monthly allocation for oil money accruing from federation account known as Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
The resultant crisis between northerners and southern indigenes led to withdrawal of staple foods like tomatoes, beans, beef and onions by Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria (AUFCDN) as they embarked on food blockade against the southern part of the country, especially the six urbanised states of the South-West viz Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo and Lagos.
It was during this period that facts came out that in spite of South-West having 20 farm settlements, five training and 10 research institutes which has made South-West the region with the largest concentrarion of agricultural settlements and institutes in sub- saharan Africa, but which are left to rot over the years.
Indeed, at the last count, the report showed that Lagos, a South-West state with almost 22 million people in population, slaughters an average of 10,000 cows brought from the North per day.
With a conservative estimate of N400,000 per cow, it means states in the 19 northern states make an average of N4bn daily from providing beef to Lagos.
It will be recalled that the Western Region established Western Livestock Company in 1960, which was supplying the region with cows and cattles from its various ranches.
The ranches have now been abandoned and left to rot away.
Cows roaming the streets of Oshogbo
Among the agricultural research institutions in the South-West are the Cocoa Reasearch Institute of Nigeria, Cereal Research Institute, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR & T) Moore Plantation, Ibadan;
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria Institute of Agriculture Research and
Ogun/Oshun River Basin Developmemt Authority
Others are Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO); Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB; Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ayetoro Campus; Faculties of Agriculture, University of Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
To cap it all, the federal government sited three agricultural training and research institutions – Ogun/Oshun River Basin Development Authority (OORBD); Federal College of Education, Osiele and FUNAAB beside each other for collaboration, but today, none of the six governments makes use of the facilities to feed its 40 million population.
Why the neglect and attendant suffering of the people in the midst of plenty?
In a region that has 300,000 hectares of arable land, why the food crisis in the region in the midst of plenty avenues?
An extension worker, inside IITA, Ibadan
In his reaction, Managing Director of OORBDA, Engr. Chukwuemeka Woke, was not arround to talk to Agro Insight reporters, but an officer who preferred not to be named blamed it all on lack of funding, saying “inadequate funding is the major problem facing this organisation. When we present N10bn budget, they cut it to N3bn and we are expected to serve Oyo, Ogun, Osun and Lagos while we also have middle irrigation in Osun and Mokoloki in Ogun, all training farmers, but With little result.
At FUNAAB, stakeholders expressed concern that as a research and educational training institution, not much is forthcoming.
“We dont have any reason to depend on the North for staple Foods. I would say its laziness and that people are not ready to go through the stress of farming. Insecudity is another reason”, a stakeholder said.
Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta’s logo
But then they ask, how is the North with the highest incidence of insecurity able to plant tomatoes, millet, beans and rear cattle they bring down South to sell?
More questions; no answer.
Though Prof. Owolabi Abayomi, the librarian, said the institution has developed local breed of goat called kalawad goat with high milk content like cow, it is not there in the market; same for alpha chicken, a local research breed of chicken which has more resistance to disease.
The research, he said, was sponsored by Bill Gates. But in spite of the breakthrough, no chicken anywhere to feed the people.
But Dr. Solomom Ekundayo, a Lagos-based analyst observed that the South-West has become slaves to northern farmers and Igbo traders.
“we keep buying and selling our lands and properties in return.
There is more Insecurity in the North, yet they still manage to produce the items sent to us. It is a big shame to us in the South-West.”
In an Interview on what motivated the study, Dr. Kola Adesina, head of Department of Mass Communication, Crescent University, said the report was part of specialist training for upcoming journalists to go into specialised publication after school to enable them stand on their own.
Dr. Kola Adesina, HOD, Mass Comnunication Crescent University
“we are Also commited to arrest the issue of food insecurity in South-West part of Nigeria.
“Our desire in this Special Report is to contribute to solving Food issues in South-West in particular and Nigeria in general.”
Dr. Adesina, a veteran journalist, said the desire of the department and the institution was to draw the attention of all citizens and government to the food phenomenon.
He said the study was also informed by a burden to fulfill Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s dream of making the region self-sufficient in food production – a feat he achieved, but which has been left to rot in the face of inept leadership in the region across board.
He told Newdawnngr.com that the department has 15 of such publications in all fields conducting similar studies and reports to solve societal problems.
