Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, expresses profound concern over the UNICEF warning indicating that 31.5 million Nigerians are at risk of hunger and food insecurity.
Obi, noting Nigeria's alarming position as one of the 20 hungriest countries globally, ranking 109 out of 125 on the Global Hunger Index, urges swift action from Tinubu's Government to enhance food production and tackle the escalating hunger crisis in the nation.
In a post on his X handle, Obi expresses frustration with the current economic situation, emphasizing the challenges posed by the high cost of living and inflation rate, leaving many households allocating nearly all their income to food expenses alone.
Obi emphasizes the need for urgent measures to avert the impending hunger crisis, recalling previous warnings from the Cadre Harmonisé, a UNICEF publication. He urges aggressive investment in agriculture, particularly in the vast arable lands in the Northern parts of the country, to shift Nigeria from consumption to production.
Concerned about insecurity hindering farmers and the negative impact of monetary policies on small businesses in agriculture, Obi stresses the government's role in securing farmers and providing support for increased food production. He concludes by emphasizing the necessity of building a productive Nigeria to address the rising hunger and associated discontent in the nation.