World Food Day: Food Security, Innovations and Challenges in Nigeria

World Food Day: Food Security, Innovations and Challenges in Nigeria

Monday, 16th October 2017 was a World Food day globally celebrated on annual basis in many countries to remind nations on the devastating effects of hunger, poverty and squalor. The day provides opportunity for each country to assemble its stakeholders for conferences, symposia, and exhibitions as well as examines the different strategies adopted to reduce hunger and poverty. World Food Day WFD) is celebrated every year around the world on 16 October in honor of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, which was established in 1945. The day is celebrated widely by many other organizations concerned with food security, including the World Food Program and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. FAO’s Member Countries at the Organization’s 20th General Conference established WFD in November 1979. The Hungarian Delegation, led by the former Hungarian Minister of Agriculture and Food Dr. Pál Romány, played an active role at the 20th Session of the FAO Conference and suggested the idea of celebrating the WFD worldwide. It has since been observed every year in more than 150 countries, raising awareness of the issues behind poverty and hunger. In Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN) organizes WFD on annual basis at kilometer 25 along Abuja – Keffi Road, Nasarawa State.

Globally, the theme for this year (2017) is “Change the future of migration. Invest in Food Security and Rural Development”. The reason for selection of this year’s theme is obvious considering massive global surge of migration from countries ravaged by conflicts and wars in the last three years. FAO has catalogue facts on migration as presented in its website. In 2015, there were 244 million international migrants, which was 40% increase compared to what it was fifteen years earlier (2000). In 2013, an estimated number of 763 million people were reported to move within nations, meaning that there are more internal migrants than international migrants, thereby overstretching the food security of such countries. It was also reported that about one-third of all international migrants are aged between 15 and 34, more than half are women and children. This category of migrants constitutes inexperienced but agile population whose majority are of school aged. In 2015, more than 19 million people were internally displaced because of natural disasters. Between 2008 and 2015, an average of 26.4 million people were displaced annually by climate or weather-related disasters. Most migrants, whether international or internal, originate in the Middle East and North Africa, Central Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe as reported by FAO. In 2015, 65.3 million people around the world were forcibly displaced by conflict and persecution, including over 21 million refugees, 3 million asylum-seekers and over 40 million IDPs. Large shares of migrants come from rural areas where more than 75% of the world’s poor and food insecure depend on agriculture and natural resource-based livelihoods. On relatively positive aspect of migration, it was reported that migrants sent over 600 USD billion in remittances to their countries of birth in 2015 alone. Out of this amount, developing countries received about USD441 billion, nearly three times the amount of official development assistance. This is the global picture of migration and food insecurity.

In Nigeria, prior to Boko Haram (BH)) insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country, the migration was merely rural to urban migration, with the highest rate of 2.5% per 1000 people in 1980 and thereafter reduced at the rate of 0.35. However, the advent of BH insurgency, the migration soared to unprecedented level with the exception of civil war incidence. Most of the migrants were camped as internally displaced persons (IDP) selected locations while few of them became burden to other families in several towns across the North. As of 31 December 2015, estimated numbers of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Nigeria were 2,152,000. This figure is based on an assessment conducted from November to December 2015 by the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) team in 207 Local Government Areas (LGA) covering 13 States of Northern Nigeria: Abuja (13,481 IDPs); Adamawa (136,010); Bauchi (70,078); Benue (85,393); Borno (1,434,149); Gombe (25,332); Kaduna (36,976); Kano (9,331); Nasarawa (37,553); Plateau (77,317); Taraba (50,227); Yobe (131,203); and Zamfara (44,929) (www.interna-displacement.org). The insurgency makes enamors contribution to the food insecurity, as IDPs could hardly be productive agriculturally. A recent online paper (Neptune Prime) report presented the gloomy picture of food insecurity in the country. The paper quoted Mr. Constant Tchona, Deputy Director of OXFAM in Nigeria saying “5.8 million people in the northeast are experiencing food insecurity and might die of malnutrition, if urgent food assistance is not provided, out of this figure, 5.2 million people are living in three states of north east; Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states”. Adding that “it was imperative for the Federal Government to step up implementation of policies that directly benefit smallholder farmers to enhance food production in the country” Mr. Tchona spoke at the presentation of a report titled ‘Fine Words Do not Produce Food’, in Abuja, Nigeria. He further explained that insurgency; militancy and Fulani/farmers crisis had pushed communities in the country into dangerous level of food insecurity. He was further quoted “Over 450,000 children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. In pockets of Borno state, over 50,000 people are living in famine-like conditions and don’t have access to humanitarian services. Food still remains the biggest unmet need of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)”. This is certainly a bleak situation but still better than period of 2013-15 when the BH virtually annexed significant parts of Borno and Adamawa states and constituted draconian authority. Nevertheless, the need for the government and other relevant stakeholders to scale-up food assistance to save lives in these states cannot be overemphasized. This was certainly the reason why President Muhammad Buhari appealed to the visiting World Bank President to provide special intervention in the northeast.

In Nigeria, the WFD is annually combined with Agricultural show whose theme this year (2017) is tagged “Sustaining agriculture for economic development”. The show is aimed at showcasing what agricultural research institutes; inputs suppliers and other agricultural innovators have produced for Nigerians. In addition, the show creates network and collaboration among the stakeholders for increase agricultural productivity.

Over the years, strategies and concerted efforts were made by different stakeholders to achieve food security for the nation considering its endowed potentials. One important factor directly related to food security is the nation’s population growth. What is the growth rate of Nigerian population? Nigeria’s population is increasing at exponential proportion estimated to reach 450 million by the year 2050. That will make Nigeria the third most populated country on earth after China and India. Data available in the 2012 revision of the World Population Prospects by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat indicates that Nigerian population in 1950 was only 37,860,000 compared to 159,708,000 in 2010. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 44.0% while between 15 and 65 years was 53.2% and above 65 years was only 2.7%. In my article of 15th July 2016, published on this page, I quoted a brilliant demographic analysis made by late Sanusi Abubakar of blessed memory, who was an ace columnist of Daily Trust Newspaper, published in its edition of Tuesday 28/6/2016. His analysis showed that Nigeria had an average birth rate of 850 babies per hour and an average death rate of 280 people per hour giving a population increase of 570 people per hour, 13,491 people per day and 4.92 million people per year. The 2015 population estimate was 186,988,000 with male population of 95,253,000 and female population of 91,734,000 and population density of 201.3 per square kilometer. What are the innovations and challenges to food security in Nigeria? (To be continued next week)

AVM MUKHTAR MUHAMMED: ABU’S GREATEST LOSS OF 21ST CENTURY

TRIBUTE

AVM MUKHTAR MUHAMMED: ABU’S GREATEST LOSS OF 21^ST CENTURY

Once again, within a span of one year, let me crave the indulgence of my esteemed readers to write a tribute to AVM Mukhtar Muhammed, pro-chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The last tribute I wrote was that of my uncle Baba Abdulkarim Ka’ida, “The Epitome of Due Process”, which was published on 4th November 2016, almost one year ago. Next week, I will return to “Breakthrough with Prof MK Othman.”

On Sunday, 1^st Oct. 2017, after my bout of squash at ABU Gym, my good friend Prof. Ado Sale, the Welfare Committee chairman of our Squash Club, broke the shocking news of Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Mukhtar Muhammed’s death; I was momentarily frozen and couldn’t know what to do or say. Involuntarily, I uttered, “Kalu Inna Lilihi wa Inna Ilaihi Raju’un.” The realization that every living soul shall certainly experience death at an appointed time comforted me. This death came when many of us least expected it, but we have to accept the reality that death comes without notice. AVM went into the life of Ahmadu Bello University at a time the university was struggling to keep pace with reality; the paucity of funds, numerous eggheads with their hotbed of ideas, sometimes being restive as their ideas could not be turned to reality due to dearth of fund, unbearable demands by the society for admission, jobs and contracts and many other cutthroat challenges. When hopes were almost dashed, AVM briskly surfaced as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the University’s Governing Council. He was appointed in that position on 9^th May 2017 and died on 1^st October 2017. Within 143 days as the Council chairman, he raised the hope of the entire University community at different strata. It was at the time when the expectations and hopes were high; the cold hand of death snatched him and made ABU an orphan.

To appreciate the efforts made by AVM and why he was completely different from the past Council chairmen, it is crucial to view the Nigerian system concerning appointments into council universities. Ideally, councils are supposed to be assets to their universities, but many become huge liabilities to the extent that the system could do better without them. Take, for instance, the case of one University that got a new Council chairman. The day the person was reporting to familiarize himself with the system, the best car from the University was sent to pick him up from the airport. Still, he refused to enter the car because it was “too ordinary” for his elitist class. Throughout the man’s tenure, he was bringing one problem or the other, and the university was fervently praying for his tenure to end. Some council chairmen try to compete with their vice-chancellors to run the affairs of the universities daily. Some consider universities to be an extension of their personal property. Thanks to the current University law that curtails and limits the excesses of governing councils, otherwise they would have clogged the wheel of the University system.

Over the years, ABU has had several Council Chairmen, some came and left without changing the situation, few impacted the system positively while others left it worst than they met it. AVM was quite different; the first thing after his appointment, he studied the ABU system. He relied on more than the briefs from the vice chancellor and principal officers and embarked on a tour of all the essential units of the university and research centers. His visit to our center, NAERLS, was particularly spectacular. He spent more time at the NAERLS national farmer’s helpline center, carefully listening to the brief on the center's aim. Being a former military officer, state governor, and, before his death, a community leader and practicing farmer, he was fully aware of the problem of the Agricultural Extension system in Nigeria. He was mindful of the ratio of Extension Agents to farm families, an average of one extension agent to about seven thousand farm families, which is practically impossible to make a noticeable impact. He was also fully aware that farmers need effective extension delivery services to increase their productivity, which will reduce the massive importation of foods worth over ten billion US Dollars annually. Therefore, AVM was convinced that the center was not only a promising and viable venture but also seemed to acquire a magic wand for solving farmers' problems directly. The NAERLS farmers’ helpline center can receive 3,000 calls a day on an average of 4 minutes per call for eight hours a day. The center provides technical information on proven and relevant agricultural technologies along the value chain of major farm commodities. The center is also equipped with e-video conferencing facilities for effective capacity building of personnel, with resource persons making their presentations within or outside the country without physically being at the center. At the time of AVM’s visit, the center was more than 90% complete and was only awaiting the integration of a short code to become operational. AVM was visibly impressed with the facilities and amazed that the center could not be functional because of the non-integration of the shortcode. A task he considered simple and should be resolved immediately.

As mentioned, AVM visited all the university research centers. At each center, AVM demanded a brief on the center's mission, vision, mandates, achievements, challenges, and way forward. After the tour, the council sent a memo to the centers requesting a list of facilities, achievements, and challenges. Meanwhile, the Council planned to deliberate on the submissions made by the centers during a scheduled retreat, which couldn’t be held as planned.

The shock of AVM’s death was devastating to me for two primary reasons. After observing AVM’s activities, I was convinced that ABU had found solutions for all its teething problems bedeviling its progress. AVM toured the whole university, he saw teaching and research facilities brought in the 1980s and 70s, he saw the inadequacy of students’ hostels, built more than 30 years ago, he observed the overused and inadequate lecture theaters and many other infrastructural challenges commonly found in universities nationwide. During one of the council meetings, AVM expressed his concern about the myriad challenges and the vast and quality human resources in ABU. He also intended to adequately address the challenges and find lasting solutions to make the university the greatest. He told the council that he would personally appeal to Mr. President and selected state governors to aid this giant University, the pride of the Nation, and a true national University. It is only in ABU that all the 747 LGAs are represented either by students, staff, affiliates, or all.

The second reason that concerned me was the plan to meet with AVM. During one of my periodic briefs on NAERLS activities to my vice chancellor, I told him about the pending challenge to link the Famers Helpline Centre with GSM service providers. My principal promised to secure an appointment for me with the AVM. “I would personally take you to him on this matter, and the issue will be completely resolved,” declared my principal with 100% confidence. I was excited, and my internal joy was limitless as making the Farmers’ helpline center operational in 2017 was a collective target we set for ourselves as management of NAERLS, which I am privileged to head. My principal and I agreed to visit AVM’s House for the appointment at the last Sallah celebration period, 2nd September 2017. It was the same period that AVM fell sick, only to receive the shocking news of his demise a few days later. May his soul rest in perfect peace and make Aljanna Fildausi be his final abode.

AVM undoubtedly had sound and encyclopedic intentions for ABU; unfortunately, he could not realize them in his lifetime. Now, who can step into the shoes of AVM as ABU Council Chairman? Who can continue the good works of AVM for ABU? The selection of the ABU Council Chairman is the absolute discretion of the university Visitor, in this case, our beloved President Muhammad Buhari. He has many famous men and women who have distinguished themselves in their careers and will likely continue with the virtuous works of AVM. Names like Ibrahim Coomasie, Dr. Mahmud Tukur, General Muhammad Magoro, General Alwali Kazir, Maj. Gen. Abdullahi Bagudu Mamman and a few others ring a bell. The idea is to find someone who respects the personal principles of AVM and wants to accomplish what AVM wants to do. The person should also be endowed with the wherewithal, enjoy tremendous goodwill, have the right connections, and be ready to serve this great university with all his/her might for posterity. May the Almighty God guide us to correctly choose to correctly fill the vacuum, Amen.