You cannot but agree with me that these three things are amongst the biggest issues on most seminars, conferences, discuss and activities in around governments, agencies and international organisations in recent times.
Nigeria as a country is having its own share of the attention in many facets.
Food Crisis:
Nigeria no doubts have got too many mouths to feed; and have been making efforts to satiate the mouths, both those that are genuinely hungry and the gluttons amongst us.
The government in Nigeria through the Minister of Agriculture came with the magic wand to inform us that ‘government in a bid to stem the impending food crisis was going to embark on massive importation of rice’ to the tune of some ridiculous amount. As usual, it was greeted with a lot of opposition and in its usual reversal mode; government reveresd itself.
It is sad to note that the government of Nigeria, despite our massive arable lands have not deemed it fit to craft an enduring policy on agriculture. Should a policy already exist, one is then quick to ask; why is it not being implemented? Why can’t Nigeria feed herself and the whole world?
Nigeria has missed another opportunity to ‘rule the world’ and with all honesty, posterity will never forgive the Nigeria and Nigerians of today.
Crude Oil:
Nigeria used to be the largest producer of crude oil not long ago but there is a new kid (Angola) on the block. Nigeria made the mistake of abandoning all other things that is good including agriculture and went all out for the crude oil. The reason are not far-fetched, you just drill through to the black gold and oil we go; but will agriculture we are not ready to till through to harvest the crops.
With the benefit of hind-sight we would have been reaping from both fronts now had we invested in agriculture, whilest the oil flowed. It would have been a perfect opportunity to call the shoots in the World right now. Vision 2010 would have been a reality and Break-Up 2015 according to America would have been a mirage.
The current price of crude to not serve Nigeria any good because we still import the finished product made from the crude; hence, we are still subject the the external market forces. The Niger Delta issues have remained unresolved and every new government in Nigeria not only pays lip service to it; it sees it as a war and battle ground to conquer instead of a people and place that have been devasted and needs reconstruction and regeneration.
Until Nigeria wakes up to the knowledge that oil like the supposed dinaseurs that yields them will equally run out or go into extinction some day, maybe soon. It is pertinent that government should be more honest and proactive in managing our crude oil wealth as well as reserve to ensure that Nigeria and Nigerians are reaping benefits that accrue from its oil wealth. Therefore, the government of the day owe it as a duty to Nigeria and Nigerians to start exploring ways of ensuring that we still have a place called Nigeria after the crude dries up.
Biofuels:
The recent race to renew the earth and everything there in is reaching a crescendo and I think Nigeria should not be left out. Biofuels are increasingly being promoted as alternative to oil as a source of energy. The proponents argue that it is renewable unlike crude oil.
However, the current global food crisis is being partly blamed on the worlds use of supposed crops meant to be consumed as food are instead being converted to fuel. This arguement flies in the face of simple logic. The questions to be asked are; Are we producing enough food? Have we run out of arable land for agriculture?
Nigeria once again is not getting it right and that saddens me. In a recent meet, in Abuja where the lingering food crisis was open for discussion; the presentation of Nigerian government calls for concern. The President through the Minister of Finance, Shamsudeen Usman appealed that:
We… persuade this gathering to give some thoughts to the current, burning issue about food crops and ‘alternative’ fuel production—the matter of using corn, wheat, millet, soya beans and other crops to produce what is called ‘biofuel’ instead of feeding hungry people,….Punch
It is scary to have this kind of appeal from a leader that should know better. This shows how far we are ready to go to confront the issues of our development and advancement as a people and a Nation. As much as there are hungry people to be feed, there is renewable energy needs to be met. On the same page we have todays hungry people, there are also the energy needs of tomorrow. I should expect a long term strategy of Government to align the current needs to satiate hunger and the future prospects of reliance on biofuels.
To buttress this lack of strategic alignment, government erred in their decision to import rice instead of looking out for ways of helping increase food production through empowerment of large scale and subsistent farmers. I do hope that this governments’ lack of interest in the prospects of biofuels is not rooted in the crude oil illusion.
Nigeria can only survive the impeding food crisis, avert the crude oil disaster and secure biofuels for the future if our leaders can be more proactive and be attuned to the changing times. We need to plant more crops and encourage people to go into agriculture; we need to get to the root of the Niger delta issues, for there rests the crude oil debacles and we need not retrace our steps on the biofuel revolutions, rather we need to rethink it and invest in it.
The food crisis is real, crude oil is gradually losing the golden touch but we can still renew things and when you think renewable, think biofuels. When we think biofuels and we have got the lands; what is left?
I think…. Lets go farming Nigerians!!!! What do you THINK?
Hi Osita,
First time on your site. Here too (Kenya) we have the problem of lots of fertile land lying idle and yet we have people going hungry. A lot of this land belongs to rich men especially politicians which they grabbed some time when land grabbing was in vogue here. For example the Kenyatta (First President) family owns most of Taveta district at the Coast and yet the locals survive as landless squatters on the fringes. This is so unfair but the big shots do not seem to care.