REPORTER: JULIET ANATUANYA
Every responsive government is obligated to ensure food availability, accessibility, and affordability for her citizens.
In today’s Human rights Correspondent Juliet Anatuanya examines the right of citizens to food Security, especially with the prevailing hunger in the country.
Food Security according to World Food Summit in 1996 is when all people, at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
Luckily for Nigerians Food security is one of the Cardinals in the eight point agenda of President Bola Tinubu: To address food shortages and increase the food security index. Reducing the hunger index as well as improving the country’s global hunger index rating.
But as it is Food security in Nigeria is at a critical point and needs urgent attention. According to Statistics, over 26 million Nigerians are faced with acute hunger, while about 37% of the total population live below the poverty line.
The Universal human rights to adequate Food can be realized when citizens’ have access to food at all times as well as means for it’s procurement
Several efforts have gone into actualizing this, among them is the recent declaration of the state of Emergency on food security, the provision of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs,and some other Charters on Food Security.
Some Nigerian bared their minds on the effect of governments effort to achieved total food security.
A mother who resides in Enugu Metropolis Mrs Ngozi Otti lamented the sharp increase in prices of food items, and called on the government to improve the standard of living of the people.
The Acting State Project Coordinator, Enugu State FADAMA Coordination Office, Mr.Geofrey Eze outlined some efforts of government in achieving food security and what needed to be done.
( Note, something like advice from him on what people, agencies, state government can do)
What are the explanations of farmers on efforts to achieve food security ? Mr. Kelechi Eboh explained what must be done to ensure food on the tables of Nigerians.
Speaking on the rights of citizens to food Security, a Lawyer Mr Franklin Ejiofor, said every government should ensure maximum welfare of the people.
Mr. Ejiofor advised government to be alive to its responsibility noting that a hungry man is an angry man.
