Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the forthcoming general elections, has argued that the recent flooding in 27 of Nigeria’s 36 states is responsible for the high food inflation rate in the country.
Obi disclosed this in a statement issued via Twitter while commenting on the devastating flooding caused by heavy rainfall and the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
He added that insecurity is also a major contributing factor to the rising food inflation in the country. He then promised that if elected President, his administration will ensure that the vast arable lands across the country are well utilised for food production.
What he said:
Peter Obi said that “while insecurity has kept farmers away from their farmlands, the lack of investment in agriculture has caused the sector to continue to perform poorly.
“In pursuance of our vision of moving the country from consumption to production, I will tackle insecurity as my priority in government, while ensuring that the vast lands littered across the nation, especially in the North, are well invested in for massive food production” he added.
What you should know
- The Nigerian government, through the minister of humanitarian affairs, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, earlier revealed that 332,327 hectares of farmlands have been damaged by the recent flooding so far.
- She added that Nigeria would initiate a bilateral discussion with authorities in Cameroon in November regarding the periodic opening of the Lagdo Dam.
