Akin Olotu, an agriculture expert and former Senior Special Assistant on Agriculture and Agribusiness to the late Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has raised the alarm that the food crisis facing the country will linger for a long time.

According to Olotu, who attributed the situation to economic instability, insecurity, and climate change, the government must urgently put in place measures to tackle pest infestations and other threats to agricultural productivity.

The agricultural expert, while disclosing this during the annual lecture series of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Ondo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), held in Akure, the state capital, lamented that his previous warning on the food crisis was ignored.

The former aide to the late Akeredolu, who berated various agricultural research institutes in the country for shirking their responsibilities in alerting farmers to farming seasons, stressed that the earlier prediction by the United Nations that 82 million Nigerians, or about 64 per cent of the country’s population, may go hungry by 2030 was true.

He said: “In the months ahead, there will be more food crises. The present climatic condition is not favourable to farming activities. Something has to be done. The food crisis is still ahead. President Bola Tinubu has to set targets for the state and local councils. Presently, Nigeria’s poultry industry has collapsed.”

While urging Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to dedicate 24 per cent of the state’s 2025 budget to agriculture to enhance food production, Olotu disclosed that his late boss cultivated 87,000 hectares of oil palm out of a target of 100,000 hectares in pursuit of the ‘Red Gold’ revolution, adding that the initiative created over 30,000 jobs.

“Ondo State has a comparative advantage in tree crops. We targeted 100,000 hectares for oil palm, but we did 87,000 hectares. We also succeeded in tomato cultivation in Ondo. Nigeria is importing oil palm heavily. We need a concerted effort to tackle the food shortage. We need to plan; we need to know where we are and where we are going.”

Aiyedatiwa, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Tayo Oluwatuyi, said his administration has embarked on several initiatives to boost food production and improve the welfare of the citizens.

He said, “The media should not shy away from the duty of amplifying the voices of the oppressed and the marginalised in society so as to live up to expectations as the mouthpiece and watchdog of society.”

On his part, the Chairman of the Chapel, Tosin Ajuwon, said the Correspondents’ Week is an important event in the calendar of the chapel, which features a lecture and award ceremony to celebrate excellence, impact, greatness, commitment, and dedication to the course of humanity.

“This year’s event is unique, given that it is the year we are witnessing an off-cycle governorship election in Ondo State. This has also influenced the choice of the theme for this year’s event, which is ‘Electioneering: The Roles and Responsibilities of the Media.’ (I so much believe our erudite scholar, Dr. Abimbola, would be doing justice to that soon.).

“To us as journalists, an election is not just about casting the ballots; it’s also about ensuring a transparent process that holds the leaders accountable and guarantees the rights of the people to be heard. We must ensure they have the right to promote the values they hold dearly, the issues that matter most to them, and the kind of society they want the leaders to build,” Ajuwon added.

The Guest Lecturer and former Head, the Department of Mass Communication, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Dr. Olugbenga Abimbola, while speaking on the theme ‘Electioneering: Roles and Responsibilities of the Media,’ stressed the need for journalists to be well-versed in election timelines, processes, and laws to ensure a successful outcome.

He also urged them to prioritise their safety during elections and play their roles effectively to help preserve the state’s peace and democracy.