By Rotimi Famakin

Adapting mechanized farming for food production, encouraging research and partnership, and implementing agricultural policies have been emphasized as the major factors that would help Nigeria achieve food security.

Professor of Agricultural Communication at the University of Ibadan, Kuta Yahaya, stated this during the second phase of his three-phase lecture for the Institution’s 45th lecture, held at the Trenchard Hall.

In the lecture entitled: Decolonization as a Golden Key to unlock Food Security, Professor Yahaya said the government needed to diversify food sources, promote social safety net, encourage collaboration across sectors and enhance the policy framework, as well as eliminate farmers-herders conflicts.

The Don noted that the challenges militating against food security in Nigeria include double taxation, insecurity, cattle rustling, and finance.

He commended President Bola Tinubu’s Agricultural Policies which he said are being felt in the country’s food sub-sector.

The Professor of Agriculture stressed the need for the government to learn from Niger, Borno, Osun and Oyo States that had initiated and transformed agricultural practices to business ventures.

He said the government needed to partner developed countries as done in Niger state which partnered China and can now boast of a mechanized farming system engaging male and female youths in the agricultural value chain.

In his response, the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Bago said the lecture adequately addressed numerous challenges food security is grappling with in the country.

The third and final phase of the lecture, “Multi-Sectoral Options in the Decolonization of Food Security in Nigeria,” will take place on Thursday, March 20th.

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