An agripreneur and chairman of Farm Drop Nigeria, Lady Davina Stevens, has said a nation blessed with vast agricultural resources such as Nigeria should not face the challenge of food security.
Speaking in Abuja during the conferment of an honorary doctorate degree on her, Dr. Davina Rose Stevens, a leader in agricultural innovation, highlighted Nigeria’s agricultural potentials while acknowledging the significant food challenges the country faces.
Lady Davina said “Food security exists only when all people have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs for an active and healthy life.
“Despite Nigeria’s abundant fertile and arable land, many Nigerians are confronted with food shortages and escalating food prices.”
Highlighting the factors contributing to food insecurity, Davina enumerated key factors like insecurity, lack of youth engagement in agriculture, hike in fuel prices and power outages
She said ethnic conflicts, banditry, and insurgency have severely disrupted agricultural activities, especially in the northern region, stressing: “Over the past five years, these issues have escalated, resulting in over 77,000 deaths and displacements of 2.6 million people, drastically reducing food production and increasing prices by up to 253% for staples like beans and 123% for tomatoes.
“The youths are the future of Nigeria, yet there is a noticeable lack of interest in farming. By providing training and encouragement, we can inspire young Nigerians to embrace agriculture, promoting food sufficiency and creating employment opportunities.
“When I came to Nigeria, my mission was clear; to help people harness their potentials and resources to achieve food sufficiency. Now Farm Drop Nigeria has launched a new campaign, the ‘Homegrown Initiative,’ aimed at tackling the country’s growing food insecurity, rising food prices, and malnutrition by encouraging Nigerians to utilise available space in their homes to grow food, boosting sustainable production and reducing reliance on market purchases.”
