By AgroNigeria
As countries initiate lockdown to curb the COVID-19 spread, Nigeria has been warned of a looming food crisis, if the food chain is left in a dysfunctional state.
Giving the caution, the Agriculture Bureau Association of Nigeria (ABAN) demanded that a consultative forum of agric stakeholders be formed, in order to rationalise initiatives that will allow for an active food supply chain.
The group warned that failure to reorganise the food chain, could lead to a shortage of food and an increase in scarcity and extreme inflation.
Speaking in a statement, Coordinator of the group, Mr. Suleman Dikwa, cautioned that a food crisis would be unprecedented if the government and concerned stakeholders do not act to save the situation.
He urged the government, to as a matter of urgency, identify key players in the food supply chain, track levels of food availability and manage supply and distribution.
This, he said, would stem better linkages between users and producers.
Dikwa further pointed that the pandemic presented an opportunity for the government to revamp the food and the health sector, and gear efforts toward elevating them.
“Having worked with farmers across all of Nigeria’s regions, food manufacturers and exporters, we believe it is time to organise ourselves to avoid a crisis in the food supply of our nation.
“This is an opportunity to bring key stakeholders to the table to rationalise activities and keep the food chain flowing.”
“We need to bring in all active players in the agriculture and allied industry, the pharmaceutical companies, the logistics companies into an emergency mode and develop a strategy to keep our supply chain running.”
“We are shutting down systems without concurrently redirecting resources into quickly developing alternative production and supply chains of critical resources,” Dikwa added.