By Kemi Olatunde.

Mrs Bisi Olayemi (not real name) was seen on her farm on Monday after returning from the office. She was on her corporate wear but managed to change her footwear to a slippers while working and sweating profusely on a small piece of  an undeveloped land in front of her house somewhere in a developing area in Akure. The Hope approached her and engaged her in a conversation where it was discovered that she got involved in farming due to the alarm by Africa Development Bank on looming food shortage in Africa this year. According to her, she stumbled on the story that day at her duty post and immediately made up her mind to save her family from it.

She was really engrossed with the activity to the extent that she forgot she was outside as she screamed ”I am tired”. When asked what she was planting, she disclosed that it was maize due to its few months of harvest adding that she will ensure she engages in not less than three rounds in the year as she hope for a better raining season in the year.

She said with the proceed from the maize harvest, she is sure of not only putting food on the table of her family but also having savings which will be useful in other areas.

With the level of determination expressed, she will not only engage in maize farming but also vegetables, pepper, and tomatoes as she promised to get the needed training for them at the appropriate quarter.

Some weeks ago, President, African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina raised an alarm of looming food crisis as he noted that hunger is fast becoming a way of life in Nigeria. This is nothing but the plain truth as the ongoing war between Russian and Ukraine will likely trigger food riots and political crisis, especially among nations that depend so much on food imports from the troubled war zone. According to him, the war has increased the price of wheat by 62 per cent, maize by 30 per cent, and Soya beans by 29 per cent, while the price of fertilizer has risen by over 300 percent in Nigeria

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, the food crisis might hit over 16.9 million Nigerians in 2022, as consumption is expected to slightly worsen, due to possible reduction in household, market stocks and rise in prices.

The above scenerio should be noticable in all nooks and crannies of Africa if we ever want to have surplus in terms of food production. The contribution of every individual matters at this crucial time. This is not the time to blame the government but a time for all to make our impact felt. You may not be involved in large scale agriculture but that small garden in your compound or the bushy plots of land in your vicinity can be used for that purpose. You don’t have to get to the market every time to get your okro, pepper, tomatoes or even vegetables of all kinds, you can have them from around you. You don’t just save yourself from additional expenses but also have what you consume guaranteed as some of the food items bought from the market were grown with fertilizers which if not controlled may be harmful to the body. Nothing should prevent you from engaging in farming, you can have a bowl filled with loamy soil at your backyard where you plant your vegetable. You can make few heaps within your compound and put the head of the yam you eat there for reproduction. You can get involved in animal farming such as poultry, piggery etc. There is no figure anywhere to represent government, just be the government of yourself and your family at least.

A friend of mine who is a graduate once told me that she can never leave Nigeria because God has so much blessed the country with a lot of natural resources which we have all failed to tap into. According to her, leaving the country will not be to search for greener pastures but visitations. Do we need anyone to tell us to wake up from our slumber? We have slept for too long, let us all wake up and embrace farming as now is the time to plan for our future. If we don’t have change of attitude, sooner or later, we will have to import pepper.

At our leisure, we can work on the farm. You don’t need to start big, you can plant few heaps of pepper for a start and gradually proceeds to other crops.

There should not be any excuse for anyone not to lay their hands on something. Those with concrete compound can embrace farming in sacks or bowls which have been embraced by some people. I have seen where it has been practiced and it produced bountiful harvest.

What matters now is our ability to save our homes from hunger by going into aggressive farming. You don’t have to start in a big way, just do something. Farming does not kill and it has not be limited to a particular set of people. Forget about your position in your workplace and pick up your farming tools to prevent hunger taking over your home. It is not a palatable experience if you play host to hunger. Most people are of the believe that some crops are produced by certain people in the country but I must say it is not so as I have seen a lot of crops including beans, rice planted in this part of the country. A lot of people are going into large scale tomato production these days. People in the south-west should be encouraged to go into tomato production too, The Hausas who are into it are not better off.

We should all challenge ourselves and work it out through dedication and hardwork. You may not have the physical strength to do it but you can engage labourers with tokens.

The only thing that can prevent us is insecurity and that is why it should be addressed by the government as this has contributed to food shortage in past years. Government should do the needful in providing adequate security for both lives and properties of citizens in order to make life meaningful for all.

To be candid, if there is a time to turn from our lackadaisical attitude of having more than enough to eat, it is now. Let us all wake up to reality as a time may come when every man may be forced to become the saviour of his family.