AFTER public uproar, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has reversed its recent directive calling for a three-day fasting and prayer programme. The ministry had declared this spiritual exercise to combat food shortages in the country.
While the reversal is welcome, the initial directive was alarming and indicative of a troubling pattern of leadership disconnected from science and reason.
In a circular dated June 11, the ministry urged all staff to fast and gather for solemn prayer sessions on three consecutive Mondays—June 16, 23, and 30—seeking “divine intervention” to salvage the country’s food security crisis.
This move was unscientific. At a time when millions of Nigerians cannot afford a basic meal, the leadership charged with tackling hunger appeared more focused on seeking help from heaven than implementing practical, evidence-based solutions.
In mitigation, President Bola Tinubu recently inaugurated 2,000 tractors acquired from Belarus to deepen mechanised farming in Nigeria. This is a far more constructive approach.
According to the World Bank, at least 25 million Nigerians faced acute food insecurity in 2024. The prices of staple foods like rice, garri, yam, and beans have risen by over 300 per cent in some regions, making them unaffordable.
Amid this, the Minister of Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari, chose intercessory prayers over irrigation, security, and strategic planning.
The irony is stark: a ministry meant to ensure national food sufficiency asked its staff to starve themselves in hopes of divine intervention. Logic, science, and policy were abandoned at the altar of magical thinking.
Hunger is not a spiritual affliction; it is an economic and logistical emergency.
Israel, a country with vast desert terrain, is known for its agricultural innovation and exports of certain niche products like flowers and fruits.
It achieved this not through miracles but through sustained investment in agricultural technology—drip irrigation, greenhouse farming, desalination for water supply—and robust policy frameworks prioritising research and development.
Nigeria, by contrast, boasts fertile land, abundant rainfall, and a youthful population, yet struggles to feed itself.
The root causes of Nigeria’s food insecurity are well-documented. Decades of neglect have left the agricultural sector without critical infrastructure. Post-harvest losses account for up to 40 per cent of all food produced, equivalent to $9 billion annually, due to poor roads and the absence of cold-chain systems.
Fertilisers are either unaffordable or mismanaged through corrupt subsidy schemes. In addition, insecurity has made farming impossible in many regions.
Armed herdsmen, Islamic terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers have rendered rural areas ungovernable. In Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara, and Katsina, farmers are routinely killed, maimed, or kidnapped.
A 2023 study published by SBM Intelligence estimates that more than 60 per cent of farmers in the North have fled their farms due to violence. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps confirmed that over 3,000 farming communities have been displaced in the last two years.
How can any serious government ignore this reality and instead ask its staff to fast?
The implications are far-reaching. With farmers displaced and food supplies disrupted, inflation spirals out of control.
Nigeria spends $2.5 billion yearly on food imports, the Central Bank of Nigeria says.
According to the NBS, food inflation exceeded 40 per cent year-on-year as of May. Families cut meals, give up balanced diets, and resort to harmful alternatives.
Child malnutrition is on the rise, and hospitals are overwhelmed with cases of anaemia, stunted growth, and preventable diseases related to hunger.
Nigeria cannot afford to spiritualise a crisis that demands hard policy choices. The country should promote climate-smart agriculture and drive private investment in the agro-allied sector.
Local governments should employ extension officers to support farmers with technical expertise. Local policing and drone surveillance should secure farms and roads.
Through pragmatic and science-based interventions, Nigeria can overcome its food security challenges and nourish its people.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).
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