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Despite
reports that Nigeria has more people living in poverty than most countries the
minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono has ruled out
hunger issues affecting Nigerians, claiming that Nigeria is food sufficient,
adding that most people in the country are currently battling with overweight
or obesity.
The
minister, who spoke at a press briefing to mark the 2019 World Food Day, in
Abuja, argued that it was laughable when Nigerians cry of hunger, because,
according to him, they do not know what hunger is all about as he sarcastically
pointed to some fat people in the hall to buttress his point.
“I
think we are producing enough food to feed ourselves. There is no hunger in the
country and when people talk about hunger I just laugh because they do not know
hunger. They need to go to other countries to know what hunger is all about’’
“The
problem of obesity is not necessarily the issue of a balanced diet but because
some of us just decide to stay without doing exercise often” he said.
Meanwhile,
Nigeria’s Country Representative of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
Suffyan Koroma, has appealed to the government to adopt policies to prioritize
the availability and affordability of safe nutrition food stressed that
malnutrition is on the increase in the country saying that “One in three
children is stunted and underweight is currently at 19.9%, which is higher than
the globally accepted numbers”
Koroma
also called on government to expedite action on the passage of the food safety
bill and implementation strategy into law pointed on the need for food choices
and eating pattern that would enhance diet and preventing food borne diseases.
He
noted that the FAO is supporting government efforts to conduct the National
Food Consumption and Micronutrient Survey (NFCMS) to find out what individuals
are consuming in the country, adding that the organization is also committed to
revising the Food Based Dietary Guidelines for Nigeria.
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