Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has decried Nigeria’s worsening hunger crisis, saying the nation has no moral or economic justification for being ranked among the world’s hungriest countries despite its abundance of natural and human resources.
Speaking on Thursday at the Sahel Food Systems Changemakers Conference in Abuja, themed “Designing for Legacy: Building Impact-Driven Food Systems,” Obi stressed that food security must be the foundation of national progress.
“You can’t talk about anything if your people cannot have a healthy meal,” he said, describing Nigeria’s situation as “deeply regrettable.”
The conference, organised by Sahel Consulting, convened policymakers, business leaders, and experts to explore lasting solutions to food insecurity across Africa.
Obi argued that Nigeria’s fertile land and energetic youth population should make the country a major agricultural hub rather than a nation struggling with hunger.
“I have always said Nigeria has no reason to be among the hungriest countries in the world. We have vast unfortified land and millions of young people who, if supported, can transform the system,” he said.
Citing Bangladesh as an example, Obi noted that the South Asian country produces between 50 and 60 million tons of rice annually despite being geographically smaller than two of Nigeria’s largest states.
“With the vast land in the North, we can feed ourselves,” he added.
The former Anambra State governor maintained that agriculture, if properly prioritised, could generate more revenue for the country than oil.
“We can make more money from agriculture than from oil any day, any time,” he stated.
