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Political economy professor, Pat Utomi claims that the cost of food in Nigeria is increasing because the country is not producing enough food due to insecurity.
The lecturer stated that farmers who were meant to be producing food had abandoned their farms due to insecurity.
Utomi said this in an interview with Arise TV on Thursday, asking the government to provide farmers with security to increase food production in the country.
The increased attacks against farmers across parts of the country are leading to displacement, market disruptions, and loss of livelihoods
He stated that the government's short-term option is to release what it has in reserve while giving farmers security for a long-term solution.
He said, “Whatever they have in the grain reserve should show up for immediate supply. We must mobilize every security force available. Strengthen local militias, move them, and even send soldiers to the farms. We have to do this like almost Operation Feed the Nation.”
Speaking about the reasons for Nigeria's persistent food inflation and rising cost of living, Utomi stated that it is not surprising that we are in this predicament.
He blamed the previous administration, claiming that competence and meritocracy had become jokes in the country.
The economics expert stated that it was obvious that we would end up in this scenario because the previous administration made multiple poor judgments, combined with nepotistic appointments.
Utomi advised the present administration to avoid panic, stating that implementing various actions could exacerbate the problem.
He advocated patience, pushing the administration to investigate the root cause of the situation and devise comprehensive answers.
