United Nations Security Council Resolution 1330

Nigeria's food insecurity: declaring a state of emergency isn't a real solution - here's what is

Retrieved on: 
Monday, July 24, 2023
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Data compiled by the World Economic Forum show that the average Nigerian household spends about 56% of its income on food.

Key Points: 
  • Data compiled by the World Economic Forum show that the average Nigerian household spends about 56% of its income on food.
  • Three other African countries that spend a high percentage of income on food are Kenya (46.7%), Cameroon (45.6%) and Algeria (42.5%).
  • Nigeria’s situation is so dire that President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency on food insecurity.
  • My view as an economist is that fixing Nigeria’s food inflation goes beyond declaring a state of emergency.

Why emergency declaration is not enough


    Parts of Tinubu’s emergency plan have been tried in the past. For example:
    • The goal is to use them for agricultural production, housing and other socially beneficial projects.
    • But they won’t be useful to increase food production if the country’s young people aren’t interested in making a living through agriculture.

Learnings from India

    • One is India, which in the 1950s and 1960s experienced food shortages so severe that it became known as a “begging-bowl” nation.
    • By making food self-sufficiency its top economic and foreign policy priority in the 1960s, India jettisoned that image and became a major exporter of food.
    • Programmes under the Green Revolution included pro-agriculture economic policies, land reform and investment in rural infrastructure and agricultural technology.
    • Land reform: Land reform gave rural people access to agricultural land, supported by government-provided irrigation systems, rainwater catchments and extension officers.
    • Transport network: Perhaps the greatest boost to food production in India was the inexpensive and extensive transport network in the country.

No quick fixes

    • There are no quick and easy fixes for Nigeria’s food crisis.
    • It is doubtful that the mere declaration of a national emergency, with a long wish-list, will succeed in ensuring food security in Nigeria.

New Agricultural Data Tool Can Help Fight the Growing Food Crisis in Africa

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, May 19, 2022
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NEW YORK, May 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- During the United Nations Security Council's session on Conflict and Global Food Security, Gro Intelligence's CEO, Sara Menker, spoke about the growing global food crisis, its disproportionate impact on lower-income countries, and the policy actions that can be taken by governments around the world to mitigate these effects. As part of a broader response to this crisis, Gro Intelligence is launching the Food Security Tracker for Africa, the first-of-its-kind, interactive tool that makes real-time agricultural data on 49 out of 54 African countries publicly available in one location. With The Rockefeller Foundation's support, this information will make it easier for countries around the world to navigate the unprecedented challenges connected to the current global food crisis.

Key Points: 
  • As part of a broader response to this crisis, Gro Intelligence is launching the Food Security Tracker for Africa, the first-of-its-kind,interactive tool that makes real-time agricultural data on49 out of 54African countriespublicly available in one location.
  • The Food Security Tracker for Africa provides free access to real-time data about the supply and demand of major crops, including corn, soy, wheat, and rice for African countries.
  • Environmental, economic, and political shocks have caused rising food prices and created shortages of major crop staples worldwide.
  • Our focus is on scaling renewable energy for all, stimulating economic mobility, and ensuring equitable access to healthy and nutritious food.