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Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has reiterated his long-standing aspiration to transition Nigeria from a consumption-based to a production-based economy. His statement follows recent, concerning data that reveals escalating hunger among Nigerians, stressing the need for immediate economic transformation.
During his address on World Food Day yesterday, Peter Obi voiced his concern and disappointment as Nigeria was ranked by the Global Hunger Index as one of the 20 most hunger-ridden countries. He stressed the importance of swift action to reverse this alarming trend and ensure food security for all Nigerians.
The former Anambra State governor said: “In August 2024, it was reported that more than 31.8 million Nigerians were acutely short of food due to security challenges and the removal of fuel subsidies.
“It was also reported that 15.6 million children in Nigeria were facing hunger.
“The United Nations predicted that 82 million Nigerians, may go hungry by 2030 if the government fails to tackle the menace of food insecurity.
“The domestic food inflation in Nigeria remains among the highest globally, with food prices increasing by 37.5 per cent year-on-year as of August 2024.’’
Obi also drew attention to the worsening hunger and food insecurity in the country, describing them as critical challenges that underscore the importance of committing to food security. He called for a collective effort to fight hunger to a standstill, noting that it is a battle that must be won for the country’s future.
“This global observance is particularly important to us in Nigeria, where food prices are skyrocketing every day, and basic food items are becoming unaffordable to most people.
“Severe hunger has now become an unfortunate member of many households in Nigeria – the once giant of Africa, a nation that has the most arable land in the continent.
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“Nigeria’s struggle with a food crisis and hunger today is saddening, considering the richly blessed and vast arable lands with which we are endowed as a nation.
“In the past, I used to lament that the majority of Nigerian households spent most of their income on food alone, sparing none for savings and other critical exigencies.”
“Today, it is heartbreaking to note that most Nigerian households are no longer able to afford sustenance food with their income.
“Food prices are soaring , food inflation is skyrocketing, the food crisis is worsening by the day, and hunger has graduated to a national crisis.
“In a Food Security Update Report released last week, the World Bank likened Nigeria’s worsening food security crisis to war torn countries like Yemen, noting that we have a significant rise in the number of people facing acute food shortages and an epidemic of hunger.
