WITH the current exchange rates, 70 per cent of
Nigerians live on less than US$1 per day. Too
few Nigerians are able to obtain enough food to
live healthy and productive lives, so it is no
surprise Nigeria is ranked the 14th most hungry
nation out of 119 countries and 152nd out of 187
on the 2015 UNDP Human Development Index
(HDI).
With a Global Hunger Index (GHI) score of 32.8,
which is only a marginal improvement over the
last decade, Nigeria has steadily plunged in its
GHI scores since 1990. The severity of hunger in
the country remains serious as the nation failed
to fulfil its commitment to the Millennium
Development Goal (MDG) of halving hunger by
2015.
Nigerians are rated as “seriously” hungry, by
the 2015 GHI because of low scores in the
four most crucial indicators of
undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting,
and child mortality,
Worse still, the 2016 Report of the International
Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) reveals
that 7 per cent of the Nigerian population is
undernourished and that the prevalence of
wasting and stunting in children under five years
of age are 18 per cent and 36.4 per cent
respectively. But these figures do not tell the
entire story.
Hunger, as defined by the Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, is
identified as food deprivation, undernourishment
(or consumption of fewer than 1,800 kilocalories
a day, which is the minimum that most people
require to live a healthy and productive life).
Exacerbated by poverty, the effects of hunger
are reflected in high rates of diseases and
mortality, limited neurological development and
low productivity.
Hunger, poverty and disease are interlinked, with
each contributing to the presence and
persistence of the other. Hunger is a major
constraint to the country’s development
economically, socially, and politically; the poorer,
the hungrier.
The way forward is clear. Investment is essential
for agricultural research and rural development in
partnership with the private sector and civil
society. Provision for good nutrition and
education must be accepted as a long-term
investment.
Having an explicit hunger target as a priority
development goal is desirable. The specific
reference to food security, hunger and the
importance of agriculture on the global agenda is
a sign of increased political sensitivity towards
these important issues.
Hence, Nigeria must invest more in nutrition and
food production. It is easily within the nation’s
capacity to eradicate poverty and hunger in a
short period of time. However, political will is
paramount.
Eradication of hunger is an objective that must
be addressed directly. Fighting hunger is an
investment that produces high returns in growth
and overall welfare.
The fight against hunger in Nigeria must begin in
earnest.
Vanguardngr
Nigerians live on less than US$1 per day. Too
few Nigerians are able to obtain enough food to
live healthy and productive lives, so it is no
surprise Nigeria is ranked the 14th most hungry
nation out of 119 countries and 152nd out of 187
on the 2015 UNDP Human Development Index
(HDI).
With a Global Hunger Index (GHI) score of 32.8,
which is only a marginal improvement over the
last decade, Nigeria has steadily plunged in its
GHI scores since 1990. The severity of hunger in
the country remains serious as the nation failed
to fulfil its commitment to the Millennium
Development Goal (MDG) of halving hunger by
2015.
Nigerians are rated as “seriously” hungry, by
the 2015 GHI because of low scores in the
four most crucial indicators of
undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting,
and child mortality,
Worse still, the 2016 Report of the International
Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) reveals
that 7 per cent of the Nigerian population is
undernourished and that the prevalence of
wasting and stunting in children under five years
of age are 18 per cent and 36.4 per cent
respectively. But these figures do not tell the
entire story.
Hunger, as defined by the Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, is
identified as food deprivation, undernourishment
(or consumption of fewer than 1,800 kilocalories
a day, which is the minimum that most people
require to live a healthy and productive life).
Exacerbated by poverty, the effects of hunger
are reflected in high rates of diseases and
mortality, limited neurological development and
low productivity.
Hunger, poverty and disease are interlinked, with
each contributing to the presence and
persistence of the other. Hunger is a major
constraint to the country’s development
economically, socially, and politically; the poorer,
the hungrier.
The way forward is clear. Investment is essential
for agricultural research and rural development in
partnership with the private sector and civil
society. Provision for good nutrition and
education must be accepted as a long-term
investment.
Having an explicit hunger target as a priority
development goal is desirable. The specific
reference to food security, hunger and the
importance of agriculture on the global agenda is
a sign of increased political sensitivity towards
these important issues.
Hence, Nigeria must invest more in nutrition and
food production. It is easily within the nation’s
capacity to eradicate poverty and hunger in a
short period of time. However, political will is
paramount.
Eradication of hunger is an objective that must
be addressed directly. Fighting hunger is an
investment that produces high returns in growth
and overall welfare.
The fight against hunger in Nigeria must begin in
earnest.
Vanguardngr
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