THE CHALLENGES OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND FOOD SECURITY IN NIGERIA By Amusat, Adeniyi Suraju

Climate change

The issue of climate change has been a major threat to human existence over the years.  Human existence depends on the success of agriculture which is the cultivation of crops and rearing of animals. 

Agriculture especially in the developing countries depends on vagaries of weather which is an element of what we refer to as the climate change.  The issue of the erratic weather situation portends serous danger for the nation’s Agriculture if not given the desired attention.  

Climate change can be defined as any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time.  In other words, this include major changes in temperature, precipitation, wind patterns among other effects that occur over several decades or longer.

The above scenario is what we are presently experiencing in the country and this has negatively affected agriculture through changes in temperature, rainfall both in timing and quantity, carbon dioxide emission, solar radiation and also through the interaction of all these  the elements.  The epileptic rainfall and the sudden increase in temperature portend serious danger for crop production as key physiological process such as pollination, tasselling of crops may cease after temperature thresholds are reached.  The livestock species such as cattle, goat, sheep, poultry and other non-livestock animals such as donkey, horse which provide employment, food, income and farm energy, transport respectively are also victims of the high temperature which affects the animal health and reduce their market value thereby reducing farmer’s income.

The fishery business is not immuned as heavy rainfall frequently leads to flooding. The agricultural processing aspect is also not spared as the erratic weather condition interferes with operations like sun-drying of crops and smoking of fish etc.

 

In Nigeria like other developing world, the role of agricultural sector in the economy can not be overemphasized as it is a major contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product, source of income for a large proportion of the population engaged  in the sector, provision of adequate food for the people, supply of raw materials required by the industrial sector, a major foreign exchange earner through export and provision of employment opportunities for the teeming population. 

Realizing the importance of agriculture to the national economy, government at all levels embarked on various programmes such as OFN, Green Revolution , ADP, Agricultural Transformation Agenda to boost food production.  Despite all these programmes, food insecurity is still a threat  as majority of Nigerians have not met the international definition of food security which state that a society is food secured when all people at all times have enough food for an active and healthy life.  The scenario in Nigeria is that food is not easily accessible and households have difficulty securing adequate food.

The need to improve food situation and the importance of sustainable agriculture cannot be jettisoned   as a country that cannot feed herself is not truly independent.

There is no doubt that the impact of climate change has further aggravated the stress already associated with subsistence production, such as small farm size, land tenure problem, low level of technology, lack of storage facility etc.   

Indirect effects of climate change on agriculture include the effects on sporadic pests  and diseases as witnessed recently in southwest maize farms that were infected by army worms and ebola tomato case in the northern part of the country. 

Going by the current concern on the country’s  state of agriculture and the effect of climate change on small scale agricultural productivity coupled with dwindling resources s from oil, there is an urgent need to embark on climate-smart agriculture which is a system that sustainably increases productivity and resilience (adaptation), reduces or remove green house gases (GHG), and support achievement on food security and other development goals. 

The advocacy on the nexus between agriculture and climate change has to be stepped up to sensitize and create awareness for all stake holders in the country.                                  

         MR AMUSAT IS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT, INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING, OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY , MOOR PLANTATION , IBADAN.