As a common man is struggling to eat once in a day in Nigeria due to hyper inflation that has hit the country, an entrepreneur, Ms Abimbola Adeyemi has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in agriculture to that will make food affordable to a common man. Adeyemi, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Crown Fit Cocktails and More, stated that it was regrettable for a country like Nigeria despite being blessed with vast arable agricultural land and human resources can no longer feed its population with basic human need like food.
The resource person made this call during a third edition of the Crown fit food and beverages exhibition, held in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital this morning.
She called on government to make a conscious and deliberate effort that would make agricultural production to our youth attractive through some incentives like interest free loan, farm implement e.t.c. so that they can go back into food production.
She recalled that Nigeria has abandoned Agriculture for long and this is the manifestation of our action on food production.
According to Adeyemi, “Food distribution is the most urgent first step to ending hunger and poverty in the country. The subsidy removal and the state of the economy have led to a surge in the prices of these commodities. There is the urgent need for the Federal government to declare a state of emergency in the agriculture sector. It is hoped that a rapid turnaround will be seen and witnessed to the benefit of all in no distance time.”
“Palliatives such as access to interest free loans for our farmers will help cushion the harsh economic policies currently experienced in the country; with our farmers been the worst hit.
“Nigerians must grow what they eat, the government must patronise made in Nigeria products as this will boost our local market and resuscitate our ailing economy,” Adeyemi said.
Meanwhile, she disclosed, the exhibition would attract hundreds of farmers, food and event vendors, among others, saying that her organisation had so far trained, employed and engaged no fewer than 100 able young Nigerians in becoming self sustaining in the food and beverages sector.