Professor Olufemi Ajayi, an agricultural expert, has advised the Federal Government to decentralize the implementation of its proposed food security plan to the 36 states. His call comes in response to President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency on food security.

Ajayi, a distinguished scholar from the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, emphasized that decentralizing the food security plan to the state level would enable better utilization of existing platforms and data of farmers and farmlands. By doing so, the likelihood of the program being hijacked can be minimized.

He urged the government to carefully assess available data on farmers, farmlands, and equipment before implementing the food emergency strategy. Ajayi cautioned against relying on committees, which often fail to achieve significant outcomes due to personal interests and lack of decentralization.

To effectively address food security challenges, Ajayi recommended seeking the support of technocrats with expertise in the agricultural sector. He suggested following the model used during elections when professors were brought in to ensure integrity.

Additionally, he advised the federal government to encourage state governments in the South West to establish more farm settlements to boost food production. He noted that the state of emergency on food security should have been declared earlier, as agriculture has been neglected for too long in the country.

The university don highlighted that food is a fundamental necessity for both the rich and the poor. However, Nigeria has been facing serious challenges in food production. The government’s declaration of a state of emergency on food security, therefore, comes at a crucial time, and concrete actions need to be taken.

Apart from decentralizing the food security plan, Ajayi stressed the importance of addressing other factors affecting food production, such as aged farmers, low returns on agricultural investments, lack of youth participation, scarcity of viable land, inadequate modern equipment, conflicts between farmers and herders, and low-yielding seedlings.

Mr. Shakin Agbayewa, the Deputy Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Lagos State Chapter, welcomed the declaration of a state of emergency on food security. He saw it as a positive step towards addressing the food security crisis. However, he stressed the need to address the issue of erratic power supply, which affects agro-processors’ operations.

The call for decentralizing the food security strategy and seeking expert input reflects the urgent need to take comprehensive actions to improve food production in Nigeria. By involving states and technocrats, the country can better address its food security challenges and uplift the agricultural sector.