The Arewa Economic Forum has said over 100,000 hectares of land remain uncultivated across the northern region due to insecurity. According to the forum, this large expanse of land was previously used for farming and significantly contributed to the country’s food production.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Chairman of the forum, Shehu Dandakata, urged the Federal Government to seek multilateral support to make those farms cultivable again and boost food security. Dandakata said, “The challenge of banditry has left more than 100,000 hectares of land lying fallow across northern Nigeria with big silos that are not put under cultivation.
“These were farms that have hitherto supported food production across Nigeria. The Federal Government needs to empower the Bank of Agriculture to look for a multilateral facility to make those farms cultivable and be put back into production so that there will be food security. “Nigeria is a vast country with a huge population and the issue of hunger in the country is real and small triggers can make it violent.”
Dandakata also called for the establishment of ‘Safe Enclaves’ for cattle rearing in the northern part of the country to address the menace of insecurity bedeviling the region. He noted that the prevailing security challenges started with cattle rustling for more than 15 years before it snowballed into banditry.
Dandakata said, “So our appeal is to the Federal Government and all well-meaning Nigerians to put all hands on deck to check this issue of insecurity if we must overcome food scarcity. “The Association of Rice Farmers said Nigeria can only produce 57 per cent of what it requires of rice if all land is being put under cultivation. “So you can see the kind of danger that Nigeria is in and any country that does not have food security is at the risk of breakup.
“On our own part, Arewa Economic Forum is providing other solutions that are not complete solutions, but solutions that will make things work.
“For example, we are proposing what we call safe enclaves for cattle rearing. “It is a known fact that the first victims of banditry are the Fulanis because this banditry started from cattle rustling, up till today.”