“The Weather Is No Longer Stable”: Agriculture Minister Explains Food Crisis

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, says Nigeria’s projected food insecurity crisis is caused by climate change, inconsistent rainfall and the Super El Niño weather phenomenon.

Kyari said this in a statement, explaining that the weather is no longer stable. According to him, the long dry season has thrown planting time out of order, which affects farm produce and makes it hard for farmers to rely on rainfall.

“Food insecurity is caused by Super El Niño and climate change. It is affecting our farms and food production,” he said.

The minister said President Bola Tinubu’s administration is responding by giving farmers more fertilizer and other farm inputs, bringing in more tractors, expanding irrigation and dry season farming, giving out more farm loans, and building storage and processing centers.

Kyari also said security has improved in some farming communities, so farmers who fled their farms can now return to them.

He named Marte and Guzamala in Borno State as examples. He said both areas are now more peaceful, and officials were able to go there to carry out the Cadre Harmonisé assessment, something they could not do before because of insecurity.