The House of Representatives has called on the Federal and State Governments to urgently address Nigeria’s ongoing food insecurity through a mechanised agricultural revolution.
This resolution came after the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Clement Jimbo, who sought the House’s intervention .
He emphasised the Parliament’s constitutional duty to enact laws for the peace, order, and good governance of the federation, as outlined in Section 4(2) of the 1999 Constitution.
Hon. Jimbo highlighted that the Nigerian state has the responsibility to harness the nation’s resources to promote prosperity and foster an efficient, dynamic, and self-reliant economy.
The House acknowledged that, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), agriculture is the foundation of Nigeria’s economy, providing livelihoods for most Nigerians and generating millions of jobs.
The House also recognized the Federal Government’s intervention strategies, such as the release of fertilisers to farmers, distribution of grains to households, and the activation of land banks.
Nigeria has a total of 70.8 million hectares of agricultural land, with 34 million hectares being arable. Crops like maize, rice, cassava, guinea corn, yam, palm oil, and beans grow effectively with minimal soil improvements.
Recently, the National Agricultural Sample Census Report 2022, supported by the Bureau of Statistics, the World Bank, and the FAO, documented 40.2 million agricultural households in Nigeria.
This report underscored the importance of agriculture to Nigeria’s economy but also highlighted challenges such as outdated and insufficient data, which hinder effective planning and resource allocation.
The House expressed concern that, despite substantial financial and human resources dedicated by 40.2 million households, the nation’s food insecurity persists.
The high cost of food products due to insufficient supply relative to demand could lead to malnutrition, psychological distress, and other adverse outcomes.
To address these concerns, the lawmakers urged the Federal Government, in collaboration with state governments, to demarcate a minimum of 18,000 hectares of arable land in each of the six geopolitical zones, designating them as Geo Agricultural Zones.
They also mandated the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to allocate these lands based on comparative advantages in crop cultivation.
Furthermore, the House directed the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to appoint seasoned agriculturists in each zone as Geo Agricultural Zone Project Managers (GaZPM), tasked with cultivating the designated lands using mechanisation and storing the produce in the National Food Bank.
The House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services was also urged to monitor compliance with these directives.