News in brief: Agriculture expert Adewale Ogunbayo suggests promoting cassava farming to address Nigeria’s food insecurity and create job opportunities. This comes as Nigeria faces serious food security challenges, with cassava being a suitable crop for the country’s climate.
Agriculture expert, Adewale Ogunbayo, has suggested broader cassava farming as a solution to Nigeria’s lingering food insecurity. He proffered the solution during an event in Ibadan, Oyo State, recently.
Ogunbayo had been speaking at the Federal College of Agriculture Ibadan when he urged the federal government and relevant policymakers to embrace cassava farming, noting that the production and consumption of garri (a Nigerian staple made from processed cassava tubers) could tackle food insecurity.
The agriculture expert also said that promoting cassava farming on a larger scale could provide job opportunities for millions of unemployed Nigerians, especially rural dwellers.
He further called on governments at all levels to support farmers’ contribution to the nation’s food security by investing in the sector, providing technological advancements, and formulating favorable government policies to boost productivity.
Ogunbayo’s suggestion comes at a time when Nigeria is facing serious food security challenges. According to the 2022 Global Hunger Index, Nigeria is ranked 103rd out of 116 countries, with a score of 28.2, which is considered serious.
Cassava is a staple food crop in Nigeria and is relatively drought-tolerant, making it a suitable crop for cultivation in the country’s challenging climate.
