There is a looming food insecurity in Kogi—INGRA.

AbdulAhad Otuoze
Initiative for Grassroot Advancement Commitment to Rural Development (INGRA) has rases an alarm that there is a looming Food Insecurity in Kogi State which can ultimately result in crisis and violence.
This was contained in a press statement issued in Lokoja on Thursday buy the Executive Director, Mr. Hamza Aliyu.
He stated that this is frightening considering the high levels of unemployment and under employment, especially among young people.
According to him, the state government must begin immediately to put in resources in the financing of the Agriculture sector if we are to avert the pending social upheaval that is coming.
His words, “For the second time in a row, Kogi State is among the leading states in terms of cost of food. This is despite having the fortune of hosting the 2 major Water bodies in the Nation and having a 70% farming population
“The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report for February showed that the consumer price index, (CPI) which measures inflation increased by 17.33 percent (year-on-year) in February 2021. This is 0.86 percent points higher than the rate recorded in January 2021 (16.47) percent. Increases were recorded in all COICOP divisions that yielded the Headline index.
“The CPI measures the average change over time in prices of goods and services consumed by people for day-to-day living All Items Inflation In January 2021, all items inflation on year on year basis was highest in Kogi (21.38%), Oyo (20.17%) and Bauchi (19.52%), while Kwara (13.96%), Abuja (12.96%) and Cross River (12.22%) recorded the slowest rise in headline Year on Year inflation.
Food inflation
“In January 2021, food inflation on a year on year basis was highest in Kogi (26.64%), Oyo (23.69%) and River (23.49%), while Ondo (17.20%), Abuja (16.73%) and Bauchi (16.37%) recorded the slowest rise. Some of the reasons for this increase include the rise in the cost of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS). But this does not tell the whole story as the rates are different from State to State.
He said that he observed that the cost of basic staple foods like Yams, Garri, Vegetables and meat etc has been on the upward trend in the state especially in the State Capital saying is worrisome considering that Kogi State is an Agrarian State.
“The cost of transportation in Lokoja is exorbitant considering that majority of food consumed is moved by roads. The roads, especially rural roads are in terrible conditions thus making it difficult for farmers to move their goods. There is poor budgetary provisions for the Agriculture sector in the State Budgets with very low implementation and fund release especially for smallholder farmers who produce the bulk of the food consumed
“There is very little contribution by the Local Government Councils to the production of food in the State thus local farmers do not feel the impact of governance at that level
He therefore recommend that the State Government must stop paying lip service to the issues of food Security and its effect on the general Insecurity of the State. The Statistics showed that the State is unable to feed itself and depends on food from other states
He noted that the issue of good road networks especially in the rural areas is crucial for access to markets by farmers stressing that state government must look into the challenge of farmers selling off their food crops in exchange for cash to foreign entities who buy same. This is the main reason for the high cost of Garri and other Cassava derivatives in the state.
He opined that the poor Budgetary for the Agriculture sector coupled with the abysmal releases for procurement of farm inputs to farmers on a timely basis must be looked into, adding that with the successful local government council elections, local Councils must begin to put resources into the issues of Agriculture.