Former Senior Special Assistant on Agriculture and Agribusiness to the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Mr. Akin Olotu, has expressed concerns about a looming food crisis in Nigeria, urging all levels of government to increase investment in agriculture.
Speaking during the annual lecture series of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Ondo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Olotu emphasized the importance of addressing climate change issues to ensure progress in food security.
He warned that the food crisis in Nigeria could persist longer than expected unless the government takes decisive action against climate change, pest infestations, and other threats to agricultural productivity.
“In the coming months, the food crisis will worsen. The current climate is not conducive to farming activities. Something must be done. Food crisis looms ahead.
President Bola Tinubu needs to set targets for the state and local councils. Right now, Nigeria’s poultry industry has collapsed,” Olotu stated.
Olotu pointed out that Nigeria faces significant food security challenges exacerbated by rising conflicts, economic instability, and abnormal staple food prices.
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He urged the Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to allocate 24 percent of the state’s 2025 budget to agriculture to boost food production.
Recalling the late Governor Akeredolu’s initiative, Olotu mentioned that 87,000 hectares of oil palm were cultivated out of a 100,000-hectare target, creating over 30,000 jobs.
He also highlighted the success in tomato cultivation in Ondo.
“Nigeria heavily imports oil palm. We need a concerted effort to tackle food shortages. We need to plan, understand our current situation, and where we aim to go,” he added.
Olotu lamented that his previous warnings about the food crisis were ignored and stressed that this year’s climatic conditions were unfavorable for farming.
He noted that the United Nations’ earlier prediction that 82 million Nigerians, about 64 percent of the country’s population, may go hungry by 2030, was accurate.
He also criticized agricultural research institutes for failing to meet expectations in addressing the food crisis and closing the gap between research and practical knowledge.
“There must be aggressive rural transformation. The government needs to curb rural-urban migration. Without rural transformation, we are going nowhere,” Olotu said.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Tayo Oluwatuyi, highlighted his administration’s efforts to boost food production and improve the welfare of citizens.
He urged journalists to uphold their duty to report truthfully and avoid spreading misinformation that could disrupt societal peace, particularly during elections.
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