The House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to collaborate with State Governments to address the current food insecurity in the nation through a mechanised agricultural revolution.
The resolutions were consequent upon the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Clement Jimbo, on the “Urgent Need to end food insecurity through mechanised agricultural revolution across the country at plenary.
The House also called on the federal government to demarcate a minimum of 18,000 hectares of arable land in each of the six geopolitical zones, to be named Geo-Agricultural Zones.
It also mandated the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to apportion the demarcated arable lands according to comparative advantage in crop cultivation and appoint seasoned agriculturists as Geo-Agricultural Zone Project Managers (GaZPM).
Jimbo noted that despite the huge financial and human resources invested in agriculture, the sector has failed to address the current food insecurity in the country.
He expressed concerns that the high cost of food products, caused by insufficient food availability, can lead to malnutrition, psychological distress, and other outcomes, including depression.
He also stressed that managers will cultivate the lands using mechanization and store the produce in the National Food Bank.
The lawmaker said that the National Assembly is saddled with the task of making laws for the Peace, Order and Good governance of the Federation as enshrined in Section 4(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
“Cognizant of Section 16(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended which states that the State shall within the context of the ideal and objectives for which provisions are made in this constitution harness the resources of the nation and promote national prosperity and an efficient, a dynamic and self-reliant economy.
“Also cognizant that according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation, agriculture remains the foundation of our country’s economy, providing livelihoods for most Nigerians and generating millions of jobs.
“Acknowledged the efforts of the Federal Government intervention strategies which includes: (a) release of fertilizers to farmers and grains to households (b) activation of Land banks amongst others.
“Nigeria has a total of 70.8 million hectares of agricultural land of which 34 million hectares are arable land maize, rice, cassava, guinea corn, yam, palm oil, beans, etc grow effectively with fewer soil improvements.
“The Bureau of Statistics with the support of the World Bank and the Food and Agricultural Organization recently released the National
Agricultural Sample Census Report 2022 captured a total of 40.2 million agricultural households in Nigeria.
The report further stated that “Agriculture remains a cornerstone of Nigeria’s economy, supporting millions of livelihoods and contributing significantly to the nation’s GDP. Despite its importance, the sector has faced numerous challenges, including outdated and insufficient data which have hindered effective planning and resource allocation.
“The National Agricultural Sample Census addresses this gap, offering a detailed and accurate picture of agricultural activities at the household level which is essential for driving growth and development.
“Millets, sorghum, maize, groundnuts, beans, rice, tomato, carrot etc grow very well in the north while cassava, yam, maize, palm oil, cucumber, maize, cotton etc do very well in the south.
“Concerned that despite huge financial resources appropriated in the budget and implemented and human resources dissipated by 40.2 million households, they have not addressed the current food insecurity in the nation.
“The current high cost of food products caused by insufficient food availability due to high demand but low supply can lead to malnutrition, psychological distress and other outcomes including depression.
The motion was referred to the Committee on Agricultural Production and Services for monitoring compliance.