ABUJA, Nigeria — Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised the food security record of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, arguing that hunger and food insecurity have worsened despite several agricultural initiatives introduced since 2023.
Okay News reports that Obi questioned the effectiveness of the administration’s agricultural policies while reacting to the government’s review of its first three years in office. He noted that President Tinubu had highlighted the declaration of a national emergency on food security in July 2023, alongside the procurement of 2,000 tractors and 9,000 farming implements under what the government described as Nigeria’s largest agricultural mechanisation programme.
According to Obi, available indicators suggest that food insecurity has continued to worsen during the period. He claimed that Nigeria’s position on global hunger assessments has deteriorated in recent years, placing the country among the nations facing the most severe food security challenges. He also referenced projections indicating that millions of Nigerians could experience severe hunger if urgent measures are not taken to improve food production and access.
The former Anambra State governor argued that Nigeria possesses vast areas of arable but underutilised land, particularly in the northern region, which he described as one of the country’s greatest economic assets. He maintained that greater investment in agriculture would not only improve food availability but also create jobs and stimulate economic growth.
Obi called for transparent and sustained investment in agricultural production, insisting that food security should remain a national priority. He said Nigeria has the capacity to reverse its food challenges through policies focused on expanding cultivation, improving productivity and supporting farmers across the country.
“We must transparently invest in agricultural production, which will guarantee food security and create huge employment,” Obi said, reiterating his longstanding position that Nigeria should not rank among the world’s most food-insecure countries given its agricultural potential.
