Groups alert FG on food security implications of COVID-19

Groups of the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) and West African Institute for Trade and Agricultural Development (WAITAD) have called for urgent need to address food security implications of post COVID-19 on Nigeria.

The two organisations made the call on Sunday in Abuja in a joint statement signed by the Presidentof NANTS, Dr Ken Ukaoha.

Ukaoha appealed to the government to awaken Nigerian economic managers including the President’s Economic Advisory Council for immediate consideration towards addressing post COVID-19 economic environment, particularly the future of food security.

He expressed dissatisfaction that while given attention and funding the health sector, food security and livelihoods of the population, which was another looming disease facing the entire population, were not being contemplated for strategic planning by governments.

“The reason is that COVID-19 has resulted in the lockdown of the country in a bid to reduce or curtail the spread.

“But the negative impact of such lockdown on the economy with regard to job livelihoods losses as well as the overall food security implications would be manifesting much sooner,’’ he said.

He said that the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic had gradually enveloped the global economy and the populations in fear, resulting in automatic and unwitting declaration of ‘State of Emergency’ on Health sector by several Governments globally.

Ukaoha noted that where many deadlier diseases which have taken more lives have failed to attract respect and attention, COVID-19 has gained more prominence with heavy budgetary allocations accorded to assuage its ravaging popularity.

“NANTS and WAITAD further note that COVID-19 has caused a serious depletion in the revenue of many countries, especially countries like Nigeria that are largely dependent on oil revenue for sustenance.

“The disease has literarily widely exposed the unsustainability of Nigeria’s unfortunate reliance on oil and the mirage of reclining on the vagaries and impulses of international oil market economy.

“We are strongly concerned that at the moment, producers, transporters, traders and other production value chain actors are asked to stay at home, thereby implicating a stagnated economy courtesy of COVID-19 induced policies and regulations.

“We note that the above situation has occasioned the recent hike in price of food commodities in the markets across the country where few goods are chased by several mouths, and sadly with limited cash at hand.

“The situation leaves traders off the hook of culpability of accomplice in the conspiracy of high price of food commodities, especially considering the complexity, high transportation costs and risks associated with moving commodities from one state to another which are exacerbated by boundary closures for fear of ‘Corona’,’’ he said.

Ukaoha, while notifying the government on an imminent gross food insecurity, said the awakening note had become imperative and given that the food sector in Nigeria has of late been undergoing a siege.

He listed the three siege which had affected the food sector as the Boko Haram insurgency, herdsmen/farmers crises, and banditry and kidnapping.

He said the Boko Haram insurgency had displaced over 80 per cent of farmers from the North East zone while the herdsmen/farmers crises had turned farmers from the North Central and once ‘food basket of the nation’ to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

According to him, banditry and kidnapping made inhabitants of North West to abandon their farms in honour of the dreaded killers.

“The gains made by the commendable policy approach by government in closing the land border against food commodities smuggled into the country, and which rightly culminated in reduction of rice and poultry import bills, among others, are speedily being eroded by the pandemic.

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“NANTS and WAITAD insist that the parliamentarians at all levels must devise ways of convening virtual meetings and deliberations via ICT tools.

“By so doing, exhibit the character of true representation of their constituencies beyond the rhetoric of handouts and palliatives and move towards strategic thinking that leads to economic recovery and sustainability of food on the table of their electorate.