Rising insecurity, COVID-19 may lead to severe food crisis —CBN

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said that the severe disruptions to the agricultural value chains occasioned by rising insecurity and the COVID-19 pandemic in the country calls for serious concern.

CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, who stated this said that if urgent and resilient actions are not implemented, Nigeria may experience a severe food crisis.

Emefiele who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Economic Policy, Dr Kingsley Obiora, said this while presenting a keynote address at the 2021 CBN Executive Seminar held recently in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State.

He stated during the seminar that the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations reported that at least 9.2 million people in Nigeria faced food crisis between March and May 2021.

In his words: “I note with concern the severe disruptions to the agricultural value chain caused by the security challenges in the country and the COVID-19 health crisis, as households continue to grapple with the production, processing, and distribution of food with undesirable effects on livelihoods.

“To amplify this concern, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation has reported that at least 9.2 million people in Nigeria faced a food crisis between March and May 2021.

“Due to insecurity and the effects of the COVID-19 health crisis, as well as climate change, the figure could increase further if no urgent and resilient actions were implemented. Ladies and gentlemen, a glimpse into the future would reveal an imminent food crisis.

“The United Nations has projected Nigeria’s population to be around 398 million people by 2050, far exceeding that of the United States of America.

“This number challenges our common will to implement strategies targeted at achieving food security and safety, as failure to do so could subject the population to the risks of hunger and diseases,” he said.

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