The leadership of Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance, and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to create a more conducive atmosphere for food sufficiency in the country.
The President of the association, Comrade Olusoji Oluwole who made the call during a forum with Labour Writers Association of Nigeria (LAWAN) hinged the call on the wastages being recorded from farmlands and the markets as reason for his call.
Calling on President Tinubu to take drastic steps against pending food insecurity, Olusoji noted that the huge loss being recorded based on the perishable nature of agricultural products could have ripple effects on the overall food sufficiency in the country.
Harping on the increased attacks against farmers in parts of the country whereby many have been displaced, many have lost means of livelihoods following renewed kidnapping and killings, the ASSBIFI helmsman further expressed his worry over danger that could face the country based on the attacks.
“We are being faced with a situation whereby most products from farmlands to the end consumers are not secured. If either they are faced with the bad nature of the roads or the products due to very long distances are destroyed by the transit.
“Government should create mechanisms to safeguard the food products by buying back the products for preservation, by giving them motorable roads that could give them smooth movements of their products from farms to the markets. Moreover they need security against renewed attacks on farmers by herdsmen.”
It would be recalled that the United Nations in January 2023, warned that about 25 million Nigerians, which is about a 47 per cent increase from 17 million in previous year, could face food insecurity based on the attacks.
