25 million Nigerians face hunger as food shortages worsen

An appeal has been made to the Federal Government to prioritise the review of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to protect the climate condition of oil-rich regions.

This call was issued during a media round table attended by Pulse on Friday, April 12.

Regions such as the Niger Delta and certain eastern States known for oil production have endured environmental damage from oil extraction and spills caused by large-scale oil corporations operating in the area.

Some of the repercussions stem from their activities involve oil leakage into water bodies, harming aquatic life, and contaminating water for domestic use.

Additionally, these oil operations negatively impact farmland, contributing to a rise in essential food prices due to decreased agricultural productivity.

In an exclusive interview with Pulse, Noble Chinyere Ajuonu, the head of technology at Sydani Group, emphasised that while the PIA Act might not require an overhaul, the focus should be on improving its implementation and the bodies responsible for enforcing it.

He said, “The Act is amazing; the government is providing the funding. But the issue is that the trustees of those funds are not bringing it down.”

Mr Ajuonu blamed this shortcoming on a lack of patriotism on the part of Nigerians.

He said, “We don’t necessarily need to review the Act, but we need to review the implementation of the Act and the implementing bodies.”

Food shortage hits 25 million Nigerians

During the roundtable session, the think tank group expressed concerns over the compounding effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and energy shortages in Nigeria, which are exacerbating food insecurity for more than 25 million citizens.

They highlighted that ongoing conflicts between herders and farmers, as well as various security challenges like terrorism and kidnapping, have forced farmers to abandon their fields, leading to soaring food prices in the country.

Godfrey Petgrave, speaking on behalf of the group’s Agriculture division, emphasised the critical nature of Nigeria’s food crisis, noting that the solutions lie with smallholder farmers who have been neglected for years.

He warned that the food crisis could persist without addressing the challenges faced by smallholder farmers, the security issues causing displacement, and the energy crisis impacting transportation costs.

Godfrey said: “Statistics from reputable organisations such as the United Nations, the Food and Agricultural Organisations etc., indicated that over 700 million people are undernourished globally, with over 25 million of them from Nigeria.”