Six S/West states react, strategise on how to address food blockade by North

The blockade of food supplies to Southern Nigeria has sparked reactions from State Governments.

Enugu, Cross River, Ondo and three other states said the development will eventually work to the advantage of the South.

South-West states have resolved to strengthen Amotekun Corps to protect farmers from activities of criminal herdsmen and kidnappers in order to make them produce more food for the consumption of the people of the region.

The State also agreed to call on existing security agencies to ensure adequate security for farmers to keep them safe in the face of renewed onslaught against fathers in the region.

They reached this resolutions after the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria held a meeting with commissioner for agriculture and special advisers on agriculture to governors in the South-West over how to ensure food security in the region in the face of food blockade from the North.

The DAWN Commission which announced this in a statement late on Tuesday night stated that the virtual meeting was very successful and believed that the outcome would lead to increase in food production in the region very soon.

In attendance at the meeting were the Commissioner for Agriculture from Ekiti and Osun states, Mr. Adedayo Adewole and Mr. Olabode Adetoyi; Special Advisers to Governors of Ondo and Oyo states, Akinola Olotu and Dr. Debo Akande. Also Mr Jide Arowosafe and Mr Gbenga Osobu of Southwest Agricultural Company (SWAgCO) were among participant at the virtual meeting.

Insecurity was highlighted by all of the participants to be the foremost challenge
confronting agricultural productivity in the region because many farmers had left their farms due to frequent attacks by the marauding herders and kidnappers. The participants also resolved that security of farmers was paramount to make them return to farm.

Recall that cattle and foodstuff dealers under the aegis of the Amalgamated Union of Foodstuffs and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria on February 25, stopped food supplies to the South.

They said they were embarking on strike due to the federal government’s failure to meet their demands, which include payment of compensation for the destruction of lives and property during the #EndSARS protest and the recent ethnic crisis in the Shasha market in Ibadan.

The states agreed that dams in the region should be put into good use so that farming would move away from depending on rain to irrigation which would enable fathers to produce food crops all year round.