The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said the impending food crisis in Northern Nigeria is disheartening.
Obi blamed the impending food crisis in the North on bad leadership.
Reacting to the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) warning that over 17 million Nigerians in the North are at risk of acute hunger, Obi said the growing hunger among Nigerian citizens will worsen unless the people enthrone leaders who have the welfare of citizens at heart.
He said the North is the food basket of Nigeria and that only incompetent leadership could drag the country into such a horrible situation.
A statement signed by the Peter Obi Media Reach quoted Obi as saying:
“The recent report from the UN about the impending food crisis in northern Nigeria is disheartening, more so because it is avoidable.
“Northern Nigeria is the nation’s food basket, and nothing short of incompetent and irresponsible leadership could have created this tragedy.
“In a recent post on his X handle, he urged our national leaders to reassess their priorities and address the dire circumstances facing our citizens.
“He called on the Federal Government and state leaders to move beyond mere political discourse and make transparent, upfront investments to secure agricultural corridors, support smallholder farmers with accessible resources, and collaborate vigorously with organisations like the World Food Programme (WFP) to bridge funding gaps before this crisis escalates and claims more lives, especially those of children.
“A prosperous Nigeria, free from hunger, is achievable, but it requires leadership that prioritises the welfare of its citizens.
“I am deeply troubled by the latest report from the UN’s World Food Programme, indicating that northern Nigeria is experiencing its most severe hunger crisis in nearly a decade.
“Over 17 million people in nine northern states face crisis-level hunger, with more than 35 million Nigerians nationwide at risk during this challenging season.
“The fact that over 10,000 residents of Borno State have entered ‘catastrophic’ hunger conditions represents not only immense human suffering but also a profound national failure.
“Nigeria should not rank among the world’s hungriest nations, given its abundant resources, particularly the vast stretches of fertile, uncultivated land in the North.”
