IITA Former DG Laments On Effects Of Food Importation In Africa

The former Director-General of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, IITA, Dr. Nteranya Sanginga, says Africa is spending almost hundred to ten billion dollars importing foods that can be produced locally.

Dr. Sanginga said lack of political will was  the only bane to food security in the Continent, as arable land, active farmers and technology are readily available.

He was speaking at a lecture organised to mark former President Olusegun Obasanjo 86th birthday in Abeokuta, south west Nigeria.

In his lecture, titled: “The Complex Dynamics in Achieving Food and Nutrition Security in Africa” he wondered why African countries still spend billions of dollars importing food, despite being blessed with fertile land.

He says, “In the case of Nigeria, giant of Africa as it’s fondly called, 11 billion dollars is expended on importation of stable foods like fish, sugar and even rice, which could be produced locally.

“Implication of this however, is that jobs are created abroad, such jobs which are supposed to be for Nigerians. Most especially, our teeming unemployed youths.”

The former IITA boss, noted that this is a bad philosophy, because there are enough scientific research and technology to support the development of our vast available arable land, using these youths as human resources.

“More importantly, a good use of available land, technology and people, well managed on the basis of good government policies, we can achieve self sufficient food and nutrition security in Africa.

“As observed, the cassava production that should take like two years, will take just six months from planting to harvesting, with the use of technology. It’s just the political will that is lacking,” he explained.

Dr Sanginga explained further that Africa has 65 percent of the arable land in the world, less than ten percent are in use for agricultural production, as such the potential is more than enough.

He said given sustainable government policies, Africa has capacity to be self sufficient in food security.

“For instance in Nigeria, between 2011 and 2016 when Dr. Adesina (now President of the Africa Development Bank) was the Minister of Agriculture, in three years we produced more foods than what was produced in 20 years past. But, it’s quite unfortunate when he was removed, the succeeding minister discarded his results-oriented policies. Hence, another bane of political will at play.”

He insisted that, Nigeria must move from a consumption nation to a producing nation, stressing that the action would help improve the goal of food and job security.

Meanwhile, while thanking guests for gracing his special occasion, former president Olusegun Obasanjo, noted that political leaders in Africa should be blamed for their inability to attain self-sufficiency in food production in their various countries.

“I believe that God has not created Nigeria as a basket case. God has created Nigeria for a great purpose. At independence, the world did not refer to Nigeria as giant in Africa, no, they referred to Nigeria as giant in the sun, Nigeria was more than giant in Africa, it was giant in the sun. But, not only have we not been giant in the sun, we have not even been giant in Africa. Some people called us giant with clay feet.”

“So, that is not what God has created Nigeria to be, that is what we Nigerians have inadvertently or advertently made Nigeria to be. “But, will Nigeria continue to be so, I believe no. So, we must continue to hold ourselves together, pray and understand all the factors and the elements that is making us to be not the giant, but the dwarf of Africa and how we can get out of it and I believe and pray that we will get out of it.

“Food security is very important and for as long as we are not reasonably self-sufficient in food and nutrition security in Africa, we are of course not doing the right thing for ourselves,” the former President explained.

Obasanjo explained that “until Ukraine war, I really did not realize how much we in Africa, almost all of us in Africa depend on the Russians and the Ukrainians for wheat. Wheat which is use to make bread is only carbohydrate, are there no carbohydrate food stuff that can be produced in Africa that we can be self-sufficient in. I know some of our countries cannot produce wheat and this is the sort of thing that IITA have been doing.

“Science and technology have given us all that we need for food and nutrition security in Africa what is left is political will and political action.

“And if we fail not to have food and nutrition security we cannot blame our scientists, we blame our politicians and our farmers, but more of politicians than farmers because I have been at the two helms and I can tell you that the farmers are ready if they are given all the incentives and the encouragement that should be given by the politicians,” he added.

Confidence Okwuchi