The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund UNICEF says about 17.7 million Nigerians are hungry, and the number could increase to 25 million.
This recent revelation observed that the country might likely achieve the sustainable development Goal target on exclusive breastfeeding by 2030 but remains off track in achieving SDGs on zero hunger.
Orange FM sought the opinion of agricultural experts on the ways to improve agricultural practices to sustain the economy and put an end to hunger.
Statistics reveals that 35 million children in Nigeria are malnourished with the country having the highest number of affected children in Africa, and the second highest in the world.
This is due to high burden of malnutrition in the country to poverty, ignorance and inadequate budgetary allocation for nutrition.
According to an Agricultural Expert, Mr. Olumide Akinrinola, Nigerians are now hungry due to over concentration on oil, high inflation and inability of farmers to access their farmland due to insecurity.
Mr Akinrinola who encouraged Nigerians to practice individual agriculture to boost food security called on government to initiate policies and programs that will encourage the youths to embrace agriculture.
A Financial Expert, Vivian Ani said achieving nutritional value through a focus on food transformational pathway is necessary to tackle stunted growth of crops amongst rural dwellers.
Ani said the malnutrition figure in Nigeria is high, hence there is the need to close funding gaps through local resource mobilization and increased awareness by the media.
Others charged government at all levels to be more proactive in granting loans to farmers and efforts made to visit farm sites to confirm authenticity of farmers rather than giving loan to the wrong people.