FOOD CRISIS LOOMS IN NIGERIA, SEE WHY.

Okechukwu Nnodim, Abuja
Locusts, grasshoppers and quelea birds
from Niger Republic are finding their way
into Nigeria and are attacking farmlands
belonging to Nigerians in the North, a
development that may cause food crisis in
Nigeria. To address this, the Federal
Government on Monday night summoned
state commissioners of agriculture from the
12 frontline northern states and other
regions to an emergency meeting at the
headquarters of the Federal Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development. Aside
commissioners from the 12 northern states,
other representatives from the agricultural
sector in states like Anambra, Delta, Benue
and a few other southern states attended
the meeting.
Some commissioners from the northern
states confirmed that the pests were already
in Nigeria and were attacking crops in
farmlands in their local government areas,
as they explained that in Sokoto State, some
farmlands had been attacked by quelea
birds. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, told the
commissioners that if the locusts,
grasshoppers and quelea birds from Niger
Republic were not checked, Nigeria would
face severe food crisis soon.
He said, “Locusts and quelea birds are
gathering in large numbers in Niger
Republic from where they attack crops in
Nigeria. We must stop them, for if they arrive
fully, within hours they can wipe out our
food. And we know that already there is
food scarcity and if we don’t check this, we
may have severe food problem. “So, the
reason for this meeting is for us to design a
strategy to attack the locusts and see what
we can do immediately to make sure that
these pests don’t arrive in large numbers. If
they do, we may face severe food crisis in
Nigeria, which we can’t stand as a nation.”
Ogbeh urged the states to see how they
could collaborate with the Federal
Government to get aircraft that would be
used to attack the pests in the states that
were already affected, as well as in Niger
Republic. He noted that the government
would partner the government of Niger
Republic on this matter, stressing that it was
imperative to move quickly as President
Muhammadu Buhari had been briefed on
the development.
“We should move quickly to see how we can
stop this menace. So, please I implore you to
come up with ideas on how to check this
development as I will forward our ideas to
the President for fast action. We must stop
this, for you can imagine the effect which
this will have on our economy if locusts,
grasshoppers and quelea birds wipe out
our rice, beans and other crops,” he said.
Ogbeh also stated that the country was
waging another war against army worms of
maize, as the pest had destroyed maize
cultivation in some parts of Nigeria.
He noted that avian flu was attacking birds
in some parts of Nigeria, adding that this
was why the meeting with state
commissioners was important.
Commissioners from the 12 frontline states
of Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno,
Yobe, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Zamfara
and Kebbi were at the meeting, as well as
others from a few southern states