How di security palava Nigeria dey face fit affect food supply and price

BBC News

6 hours ago

As kasala dey increase for Nigeria, especially for northern part of di kontri, wia unknown gunmen, Boko Haram/ISWAP, bandits, herders and farmers dey clash, di place wey dem also sabi for big farming don dey face serious palava.
As rainy season dey try reach im peak, farmers dey fear to go farm becos dem no wan risk dia life or make bandits kidnap dem.
For recent weeks, kasala wey happun for North east, North west and North central don claim many lives and properties. Dis areas na places wey dey produce plenty food for Nigeria.
Recently, Ministry of Agriculture for Nigeria release one internal memo wey tok say make dia staff fast for three days sake of food wahala for di kontri. Dis move show how serious di mata be.
For 2024 alone, World Food Program report say kasala, insecurity, inflation and climate wahala go make hunger worse for Nigeria, and say 26.5 million pipo go face serious hunger.
National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) tok say food inflation rate for October 2024 na 39.16% compared to 31.52% for October 2023. Experts believe say insecurity na one of di major reasons wey cause dis kain inflation.
Experts still tok say goment need to do more to fight insurgency or find modern farming ways becos farmers for north dey fear to go farm.
How security wahala fit affect food security and price dis year?
Secretary of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Dr Yunusa Halidu, tell BBC Pidgin say insecurity na one of di reasons wey dey cause food wahala and food inflation.
"Before dis insecurity wahala, many states for north dey farm plenty food, and food dey cheap for market," oga Halidu tok.
"If no be for insecurity, Zamfara alone fit feed di whole kontri afta harvest."
E believe say na insecurity cause di food inflation wey Nigeria dey face.
"Lack of food na one of di reasons why food price rise for recent years, and na insecurity cause am. You know say di more pipo dey need sometin, di more di price go up," e tok.
E mention say some northern states dey produce rice, wey Nigerians dey chop well-well, but rice and oda food production don reduce.
"States like Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi sabi farm rice, but sake of insecurity, dem dey produce small rice now."
Halidu add say "Na only Jigawa for all di northern states dey farm witout security wahala, sake say bandits no too dey dia."
E still tok say if federal goment fit solve insecurity and provide farming support, Nigeria no go get food wahala and food go cheap for evribodi.
Wetin be di solution?
Dr Angarawai Ijantiku Ignatius wey sabi farming well-well and be Country Representative for International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) for Kano, tell BBC Pidgin say federal goment need to embraced and invest for modern farming.
"But no mata di modern innovation, we still need land. But for small scale, we get wetin we dey call homegrown food.
Pipo fit use bucket or cement bag put soil and plant yam, pepper or onion for house. E fit feed family of two or three."
E tok say anoda modern way na make goment provide community-based place wey farmers fit plant and harvest.
"We get new technology wey we dey call community-based farming programme, wia we go give farmers free training on di new method.
How dem fit farm and harvest quick and distribute am for community," Dr Ignatius tok.
"But for dis one, we need community vigilante to protect farmers."
E also tok say dem suppose dey help farmers get fertiliser by using compost, since some places bandits no dey allow dem go outside village.
But e still tok say homegrown food na just support, e no fit reach evriwia.
On di oda hand, anoda expert wey sabi security mata for Kano, Dr Auwal Abdullahi, tok say Nigerian goment suppose try anoda way to fight insurgency.
E tell BBC Pidgin say for over 10 years, goment dey use force fight insurgents, but e suggest say make dem try dialogue.
"Make goment understand and work wit security pipo, community and gada intelligence.
For farming season, goment need to work wit community and if possible, negotiate wit bandits" im tok.
E say dis method work for Birnin Gwari local goment for Kaduna State.
Dr Abdullahi also tok say if dem use peaceful method to tok to bandits make dem drop arms and stop banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling, farmers go fit go farm and e go help Nigeria economy grow.