Nigerians Spend 65% Of Salaries On Food – UN

Date: 2024-07-04

According to a news report from Leadership, the United Nations (UN) has described as unacceptable the statistical data showing that Nigerians spend over 65 percent of their salaries on food, compared to five to six percent in other regions.

Dr. Hameed Nuru, a veterinarian and food security advocate with the UN World Food Programme (WFP), made this statement in Ilorin, Kwara State, while delivering the maiden annual lecture of the University of Ilorin's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. The lecture was held in honour of Professor Saka Nuru, a former deputy vice-chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, and the first professor from the Ilorin Emirate.

Nuru, whose lecture was titled, “Navigating the nexus of food security, safety and diseases: a holistic sustainable future and economic prosperity,” suggested that the federal and state governments should make a dedicated annual budgetary allocation for food security.

He disclosed that Nigeria is predicted to have one million malnourished children from August this year due to conflicts, insecurity, and climate change, especially in the North East, a replica of the situation in Somalia.

“The government should come up with a policy that will give the citizens access to food. It's undignifying to always hand over food to people without developing their economic capacity to access the food themselves”, he said.

The lecturer, who said that the country's future will never be secure without food security, added, “It's not the oil, and not the diamond, but food security that can guarantee Nigeria's future.”

Nuru, the director of the African Union Global Office and a representative to the African Union and Economic Commission for Africa, also said that food security is linked with national security.

He suggested that Nigeria's governments and people should prioritise and promote the nation's indigenous food against processed and imported food, saying that Africa used about $60.8 billion to import food annually.

“Africa should move from agriculture for the stomach to agriculture for wealth. Africa should strengthen agriculture production to address food security,” he said.

Nuru also opined that government policy should attract more youth into the agricultural sector, saying that “the sector will have to be more attractive and lucrative, especially commodities, markets, transport, storage, processing, links, etc.

“Encouraging and supporting the African Free Continental trade agreement: Food commodities should be the primary focus. Regional and continental trade of food and other mineral products should be encouraged.”

He said, “WFP is prioritising its operations to reach 1.1 million vulnerable people every month in northern Nigeria. Those receiving assistance include displaced people living in camps or host communities, vulnerable members of host communities and people returning home after months of displacement.

“WFP has targeted 2.6 million beneficiaries in 2024 and was able to support 1.3 million beneficiaries in the first quarter of 2024.”

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Kazeem Adekanye     Tunji Oyawoye     Niguel Gallando Marcias     Kupchi Hosea Maxwell     Azeez Bello     Kayode Bankole     Abdulrasheed Na\'Allah     Bature Bello     AGILE Programme     Ajia-Bako     Ahmad Fatima Bisola     Y.A. Abdulkareem     Pilgrims Board     Muyiwa Oladipo Kanu     Hamza Usman     Malete     Fola Consultant     Senate     MATTA Girls Foundation     TESCOM 2025     Olukotun Of Ikotun     Segun Ogunsola     Kwara State Pension Board     Government High School (GHS), Adeta     Afonja     Amos Bajeh     TETFUND     Abdullahi AbdulMajeed     Salaudeen Oyewale     Aremu Odolaye     Bond     Laolu Saraki     Lucky Omoluwa     Emir Of Lafiagi     Garment Factory     FERMA     Solomon Edojah     Kwara Hotel     Kwara     Aliyu Muhammad Saifudeen     Tinubu Legacy Forum     Valsolar Consortium     Muhammadu Gobir     Ahman Patigi     NIPOGA     Taofeek Ibraheem     Joseph Yemi Ajayi     Kale Bayero     Ita-Ore     Joana Nnazua Kolo     Saka Asiat Ayinke     Ayinde Oyepitan     Summit University     Ilesha-Baruba     SDP     Yakubu Danladi     Kwara Metro Park     Abdulrasheed Lafia     Isiaka AbdulRazaq     Ahmed Dankaya     IESA     Oluronke Adeyemi     Jaiz Bank     Ahman Pategi University     Mohammed Saidu     Abdulfatai Baakini     Ilorin Curfew     Code Of Conduct     Afolasade Opeyemi Kemi     Hassan A. Saliu     Jide Oyinloye     Kayode Oyin-Zubair     Ramat Oganija     Shao     Mustapha Akanbi     AbdulKareem Yusuf Danhawa     Funmi Salau    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Bamidele Adegoke Oladimeji     Charcoal     Olufolake Abdulrazaq     Suleiman Abubakar     GRA     Special Agro-Industrial Hub     Abdulmumini AbdulRazaq     YAKOOYO     Ezekiel Yissa Benjamin     Salman Alada     Afonja Descendants Union     Oloriegbe     Ilota     Ayo Adeyemi     Binta Abubakar-Mora     CACOVID     James Kolo     Ishola Balogun Fulani     Jamila Bio Ibrahim     Issa Baba     Cassava Growers\' Association     Madawaki Of Ilorin     Oluronke Adeyemi     Dasuki Belgore     Okin High School     Idris Amosa Saidu     Tuesday Assayomo     Wole Oke     Standard Organization Of Nigeria     Mahee Abdulkadir     Mohammed Halidu     Tsado Manman     Mujtabah Bature     Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     Vishvas KOZ Tractors     Muyideen Ajani Bello     C2c@kwarastate.gov.ng     Babaita     Ebola     Sardauna     Lukman Adeloyin     Halimat Yusuf     Rotimi Oyedepo     IESA     Alaro     Ado Ibrahim     Saba Jibril     Alore     Maimunat Oloriegbe     Babs Iwarere     Share     Apaola     Mohammed Yisa     Segun Olawoyin     IYA YUSUF     Musa Abdullahi     Student Learning Support Helpline     Abdulsalam A. Yusuf     Funmilayo Oniwa     Unicontinental Construction Company     Valsolar     KWIRS     Omotosho     Abdulwaheed Musa     Yahaya Jibril Usman     Ilorin Anchor Men And Women     Awwal Jawondo     Yahaya Abdulkareem Babaita     Plat Technologies Limited     EndSARS     Taofik Abdulkareem Babaita     Ope Saraki     NURTW     James Ayeni     Olaoye B. Felix     Admiralty Villa     Yahaya Oloriegbe