ActionAid Country Director, Ojobo Atuluku
Unless the Federal Government solves the insecurity challenges in the country, it may not achieve its food security target by 2025.The ActionAid Country Director, Ojobo Atuluku gave the warning yesterday, in Abuja at an event organised by the Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON).
She lamented that insecurity has created a problem in food production in different parts of the country.According to her, there is the need for a sustainable solution to the communal crises between the herdsmen ad farmers.
She said no government efforts would yield positive result, unless workable policies are made to tackle the insecurity challenges.She said: “Insecurity has affected food security in not only the northeast, but also among farmers and herdsmen across the country.
Atuluku commended the Federal Government for repositioning the agriculture sector, adding that beyond conflicts and communal clashes, it should also address the impact of climate change in the sector.
She urged government to resolve these conflicts to avoid a gradual drift towards food shortage.The country director identified the lack of access to farmland, credit and market as some of the major setbacks facing the women farmers
While commending the Federal Government efforts at reviewing the Malabo declaration, she called for a major policy in access to land and government’s investment in small-scale women farmers.
SWOFON President, Mary Afan said the organisation has been engaging government officials and other stakeholders to support women farmers in the rural communities.
She narrated how four women were killed in their farms due to insecurity, which had forced them to engage local security guards to secure them in rotations while in their farms. She urged government to facilitate easy access to fertilisers and other inputs as part of its intervention in the sector.
Source: Guardian
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