Dr. Philips Nto, a lecturer and Director of the Agribusiness Incubation Centre (ABIC) at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), has called on President Bola Tinubu to place greater emphasis on agriculture to accelerate Nigeria’s economic development.
In a statement, Dr. Nto stressed that tackling hunger in Nigeria requires all levels of government to take agriculture more seriously.
Reviewing the mid-term report of the President and state governors, he observed that agriculture has not been adequately prioritized in their developmental agendas.
He said, “The most important need of the average Nigerian now is food. Unfortunately, food prices are currently very high. Well-paved roads and bridges cannot replace food. Agriculture should take a significant portion of our national and state budgets.”
While acknowledging some progress in infrastructure, particularly roads, Dr. Nto emphasized that such developments would only be truly meaningful if agriculture is given due focus.
“The simplest economic principle of scale of preference, which leads to opportunity cost, teaches us that we must find ways to support farmers for massive food production to curb food insecurity,” he said.
As a former Commissioner for Finance in Abia State, Dr. Nto noted that many states prefer revenue-generating projects over agriculture, but he warned this is a misplaced priority.
“When you fund agriculture and its value chains, you generate revenue twofold while simultaneously reducing inflation and food insecurity,” he explained.
Dr. Nto also criticized the importation of food items as a temporary and counterproductive measure that undermines local farmers.
He recommended importing agricultural machinery instead, to support local farmers in boosting food production, while promoting value chain addition as a comprehensive solution to both food insecurity and economic instability.
Finally, he urged Nigerian citizens to support government efforts by engaging in farming themselves.
He added, “At ABIC, we are actively promoting modern farming techniques and assisting local farmers with high-yield seedlings as part of our contribution toward national food security.”
