Democracy as government of the people by the people and for the people should prioritize the collective welfare of the people through improved standard of living. Today, the various strata of the society are faced with economic hardship, poverty, hunger and starvation which to some extent undermine the parameters of measuring good and responsive governance.
That is why federal, States and local government councils should focus on promoting agriculture to achieve food security.
Adequate investment in the agricultural sector and proper empowerment of farmers across the country will ensure effective harnessing and utilization of abundant resources in the entire agricultural value chain.
Food insecurity is a threat to peace and stability especially in a developing country like Nigeria.
Food security is necessary in protecting democracy, promoting good governance and stable political system because hunger cuts across ethnic, cultural and religious boundaries.
While there is need for International alliance and cooperation against hunger, developing countries should not rely on food aid for survival except during crisis such as famine, wars or political upheaval because such interventions are not sustainable and could only further undermine the plight of the world’s hungry and poor people with resultant malnutrition, health challenges and increased death rate.
In Nigeria, many households feed once a day with attendant poor nutritional value that exposes them easily to various health challenges.
Unfortunately, Nigeria and other developing countries of the world have the greatest percentage of poor people who face hunger and starvation on daily basis because successive administrations failed to give the desired attention to agriculture despite availability of huge arable land across the country.
Before the discovery of oil, agriculture remained the backbone of the economy of Nigeria and some developing nations which if sustained would have repositioned them for sustainable development and the neglect over the years have resulted to circles of poverty and heavy debt burden.
It is important to stress that food insecurity engenders crime, social vices, insecurity and social instability because a hungry man is always an angry man.
There is need to evaluate the past, observe the present and be able to plan better for the future in providing food security for the people through well articulated policies and programmes that promote modern agricultural practices driven by technology in line with international best practices.
Federal government should take more proactive measures to tackle challenges of insecurity which is gradually strangling farming and food production in various agricultural belts of the country, especially in the northern region.
Nigerians should be encouraged to embrace farming and other agricultural activities as a way of life to contribute towards achieving food security and quality standard of living.
WRITTEN BY LIVINUS NNEBEDUM
