The Crop Science Society of Nigeria (CSSN) has urged the federal government to increase investments in crop and animal production as the only viable solution to Nigeria’s worsening food crisis.

CSSN Chairman, Professor M.I. Uguru, made this call on Monday during a national conference holding at Bayero University, Kano, emphasizing that food importation is not a sustainable solution to the current scarcity.

SolaceBase reports that this is the 9th CSSN conference, themed “Transforming Crop Production in the Face of Insecurity and Economic Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities,” in light of Nigeria’s current challenges.

During the event, Professor Uguru lamented the severity of the food crisis, stating, “Food prices have soared, and many communities are facing acute food shortages.”

He was quoted as saying, “We must brace up and confront this monster head-on. This conference is timely, as CSSN is in a pivotal position to reverse the trend with new agricultural technologies.”

He further mentioned that research papers on these new technologies, aimed at improving crop yield per unit area, would be presented during the conference.

Professor Uguru added that Nigeria’s economic downturn could be resolved if the government focused more on crop agriculture.

“Poverty and unemployment will disappear; youth restiveness will become a thing of the past as many of them will be meaningfully engaged,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas, commended CSSN, describing the conference as a unique platform to share knowledge and ideas on the latest developments in crop science, with the goal of improving food security, nutrition, and sustainable agricultural practices.

Similarly, Professor Yusuf B. Daraja, Vice Chancellor of Capital City University, expressed concern over Nigeria’s growing food insecurity, emphasizing agriculture as a key solution.

He cited a Q4 2023 report from the National Bureau of Statistics, which stated that agriculture, particularly crop production, remains crucial to Nigeria’s economy, contributing 23.86% to its GDP and employing about 70% of the rural population.

Source - https://solacebase.com