2nd edition

Oct 22, 2011 Samuel Publisher's Desk 0

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The worrisome Food insecurity in Africa forms the cover story of this Edition.

It is a sad commentary on the state of Affairs in Africa that we are still talking about food security five decades after most African countries became independent. According to researchers, Africa has performed poorly in achieving food security. Food security is as important as other critical issues of Nationhood. Wikipedia says that availability of food and access to it. A nation is considered food – secure when the occupants and citizens do not live in hunger or fear of starvation.

In Mozambique years of civil war destroyed the agricultural capacity of rural communities. Agriculture like any other Economic activity needs infrastructure and a stable environment to thrive on. If farmers cannot evacuate their produce, they loose the capacity to engage in further production. Meanwhile, the brutal nature of the conflicts left many farm land mined but today the Government has decided too take the bull by the horn to improve the food security in the country.

In Nigeria the neglect of Agriculture leads to almost one commodity crude oil, the structural distortion of Nigeria Economy is the fundamental challenge requiring speedy and comprehensive agricultural development in our Nation. Other Agricultural challenges include but no limited to, policy somersault, one step forward, but two or three steps backward.

Policies on importation of rice, corn meat and fertilizer are also killing Nigeria Agriculture; Nigeria imports virtually all inputs into Agriculture thus making cost of production very high and non-competitive with those of the developed Economies.

In the early seventies, Malaysia collected oil palm seedling from Calabar for replanting in Malaysia. Today, leveraging the benefit from Agriculture. Malaysia has become an Economic behemoth, and she earns more from her oil palm and product than Nigeria earns from crude oil.

Malaysia compares with any country in Europe or North America. This is a major lesson for Nigeria.

Recently, Farmers in Nigeria under the aegis of all Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), converged in the ancient city of Kano too rub minds and share ideas with fellow farmers and non-farmers alike on the way forward for the Agriculture sector of the Economy.

We have news around the world, including Africa, Europe and Asia. In keeping with our mission statement, we unveil men and women of integrity who have contributed to the social-economic and political development of the nation, Africa and the entire world in their various field of human endeavor. More of them will be showcased in our subsequent editions for your delight.

Enjoy yourself as you diligently peruse through the pages.

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