MONDAY March 17, 2025 |TheNewsDESK
By Dennis UDOMA, Uyo
Vice – Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo and other academia have lauded the 4th Public Lecture, organized by the Faculty of Management Sciences of the institution saying that, it provided insights into the challenges confronting agriculture and how to confront it.
The 4th Faculty Public Lecture tagged, “Agricultural Policies, Food Scarcity And The Well – being of Nigerian Citizens” was presented by a renowned Soil Chemistry and Fertility Scientist, Prof. Trenchard Okon Ibia (Rtd.), who was also a former Commissioner for Agriculture, Akwa Ibom State.
Vice – Chancellor, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, who was represented by his Deputy Vice – Chancellor, Academics, Prof. Aniekan Offiong thanked the Faculty of Management Sciences for the lecture and described the topic as apt and in tandem with Nigeria’s economic situation.
He noted that, though there could be a number of challenges facing the agricultural sector such as insecurity, wrong policies and implementation that, federal, states and local governments running the country on what he called “Palliatives Syndrome” is enough insult to show that, there is hunger and food scarcity in the land.
Prof. Ndaeyo further stated that, factors like urbanization, population growth and poor implementation of agricultural policies also add to the suffering by Nigerians occasioned by food scarcity.
While observing food scarcity to be a reoccurring decimal said that, food challenges or scarcity stemmed from poor governance structure and recommended that , mechanized farming and land tenure system to be revised.
The Lecture presenter, Prof. Ibia described food scarcity and the reality of food insecurity in Nigeria as, food insufficiency or lack of access to adequate, nutritious, quality and safe food for the population to guarantee the attainment of active and healthy living and wellbeing.
He enumerated some of the causes of food scarcity in the country to include; insecurity of lives and properties, climate change/natural disasters, urbanization/population growth, socioeconomic factors (poor health, poverty, lack of infrastructure, literacy, low capital availability, low production inputs) and poor policy implementation and discontinuity of programmes have negative impacts on agriculture, hence food scarcity adding that, food scarcity is a major challenge in food insecurity.
While observing agriculture as the mainstay of nation’s economy by providing diverse employment, ensures food security, contributes to export, provides/supports industrial growth and economic development, Prof. Ibia recommended among other things that, a complete paradigm shift in the approach to public policies and agricultural programmes implementation is necessary to overcome the challenges of poor agricultural and economic development, hunger, poverty and malnutrition.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the host and Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences, University of Uyo, Prof. Uduak Ubom said, the lecture was put together in order to examine the topic for the 4th Public Lecture considering the relevance of policies in every sector of any economy, and improvement in agricultural outputs, food supply and food prices in particularly.
According to him, “the high level of hardship and hunger in Nigeria have raised a lot of concern to many people, organizations, economic managers, leaders, researchers and the masses.
“Of greater concern is the severe food scarcity with the attendant high prices of food. For instance, an average price of a bag of rice (50Kg) is between N91,000 and N98, 000 depending on the brand and location of purchase.
“Similarly, a bag of garri of equivalent measurements go for about N50, 000. Other food items including yam, potatoes, plantain and banana among others are not left out in the spike. With this, millions of Nigerians are exposed to acute food insecurity posing serious threats to their wellbeing.
“While many have attempted to identify the basic causes of food scarcity in Nigeria to include climate change, flood, population growth, low level of education and poverty among others, the issue of agricultural policies is rather rarely mentioned and or discussed.
“Considering the relevance of policies in every sector of any economy and improvement in agricultural outputs, food supply and food prices in particular, it becomes pertinent to come together to examine this issue; “Agricultural Policies, Food Scarcity And The Well – being of Nigerian Citizens”.
Chairman on the occasion was Prof. Ashong C. Ashong, himself a former ASUU Chairman of the University of Uyo branch, former VC, UNIUYO and Prof. Emeritus, Akpan Hogan Ekpo were among the participants at the public lecture series of the Faculty of Management Sciences of the University. They commended Prof. Ubom and his Faculty staff for organizing a heart warning public lecture to profer solutions to some the nation’s teething problems in the agricultural sector.
