Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity,
Shehu Garba yesterday warned that Nigeria could face famine in January
if drastic steps are not taken now. Garba who gave the warning when he
spoke at a radio station in kano yesterday, said Nigerian farmers are
exporting most of their food products instead of making it readily
available for consumption in Nigeria.
“Huge demand for our grains in the global market is creating an
excellent environment for the mindless export of Nigerian grains across
our borders and unless this is curtailed, Nigerian markets will be
bereft of food by January next year. Over the past year, Providence
has blessed Nigeria with a bountiful harvest of grains, more than enough
to feed the country and to export to other countries. At present, there
is a high demand for grains from Nigeria, from African countries as
distant as Libya and Algeria, and from places as far away as Brazil.
However, the ministry of agriculture has raised concerns about a massive
rate of exportation, which could lead to a shortage of grains in
Nigeria by January. President Muhammadu Buhari is not in any way opposed
to or intent on tampering with that. On the other hand, exporters also
have a moral obligation to make their produce available to Nigerians who
live within our country’s borders, to ensure that our citizens have
access to food” he said.Garba said that the ministry of agriculture estimated that no fewer than
500 trucks laden with grain leave Nigerian markets every week, headed
for countries outside Nigerian borders.“The major markets involved in this exportation are: the Dawanau market
in Kano, Naigatari in Jigawa, Bama in Borno, and Ilela in Sokoto, as
well as three other main markets in Kebbi State,” he said.