Stakeholders have said that Nigerians have a lot of land for farming but a larger part of it which is 60% is underutilised and 40% is used.
They noted that if Nigerians can make use of 60% of the unused lands, they can get enough food to sustain them despite the hardship in the country.
While speaking at a Policy Dialogue Series on Sustainable Economic Development in Nigeria, at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), in Kuru, near Jos, Plateau State, the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs (Office of the Vice President), Tope Fasua, suggested that using the 60% of the unused land could aid the provision of cheap foods and eradicate poverty.
He said, “We have only cultivated about 40% of our arable land, and by capacitating the agricultural sector and utilising the remaining per cent, more people can get into farming.
“This will ensure availability of food for local consumption and export because many countries need our agricultural produce and also generally attack the food/poverty problem.
“Nigeria is a lucky country because we have one of the best weathers in the world, the entire 19 states of northern Nigeria are the food basket of the nation; a lot of crops grow there, like sesame, sorghum, ginger, soybeans, cassava, and yam, among others. We do not have enough of these crops, and Nigeria has them abundantly.”
The Cluster Coordinator, Sustainable Economic Development Cluster (SEDEC), GIZ Nigeria, Markus Wauschkuhn, stated that they are planning of creating a sustainable environment for the people.