Town planners harp on food security as UN moves to transform systems

Executive Director of Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) Ilorin, Kwara State, Prof. Lateef Sanni, yesterday, advocated a multi-faceted approach to minimise impact of climate change on food security in the country.

He said it was crucial for Nigeria to return to regional food strength agriculture to check insufficiency, enhance collaboration between government, non-governmental organisations, international partners and local communities in achieving food security goals and creating a sustainable future.

Sanni spoke at the 2024 Femi Olomola yearly lecture, organised by the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Lagos chapter in Agidingbi, Lagos.

The late Olomola was a past President of NITP, who made enormous contribution towards the growth of the profession.

In the lecture, entitled, ‘Climate Change and Food Security In Nigeria’, Sanni said strategies needed to enhance food security are climate smart agriculture, policy reforms, infrastructure development, technological innovations, community engagement and education.

He submitted that with Nigeria’s ever growing population expected to reach 250 million by 2050, the nation might face serious food crisis if new strategies are not deployed amid heightened climate change impacts.

Sanni charged planners to assist government in redesigning the urban space by making it more organised, and bridging the distance between farm, where foods are harvested, and the city.

He emphasised that the most populous black nation could enhance its agricultural productivity, build resilience for climate change, and ensure food security for its population through deployment of climate-smart post-harvest technologies, using non-chemical grain storage, integrated management strategy to control aflatoxins and safe, effective grain protectants.

The expert explained that these are also NSPRI’s interventions in tackling the impact of climate change on food security in the country.

Others, he said, are inert atmosphere metal silos for non-chemical storage of well-dried grains, solar drying technology, fish smoking kiln, cold chain infrastructure, fish technologies’ handling and processing.

Sanni pointed out that Nigeria is vulnerable to climate change owing to limited access to technology, inadequate government policies, financial constraints, insecurity and conflicts, inadequate infrastructure and socio-economic factors that limit adaptation and mitigation.

The executive director continued: “Climate drivers important to food security are erratic rainfall patterns that cause changes in timing and intensity causing droughts and floods severely impact crop yields, planting and harvesting cycles. Increased temperature and heat waves affect crop growth and livestock health, reduce soil moisture and increase evaporation rates. Causes of climate change include anthropogenic; chemical, deforestation, increased vehicle emissions and industries and natural cause; sunspot and solar cycle, forest fire, methane emissions from animals and meteorites.”

He also said climate and non-climate stresses are impacting the four pillars of food security, which are availability, access, utilisation and stability.

Chairman of Lagos Chapter of NITP, Tayo Awomosu, said, “it is a considered opinion that this theme provides the opportunity for practitioners to interrogate the all-important issue of food supply value chain, especially as it relates to climate change and the urban realm,” adding that “it is a topical issue that needs to be discussed and analysed.”

He explained that the lecture series was instituted in recognition of Olomola’s contributions to the town planning profession and Nigeria in general.

Chairman of the occasion, Toyin Ayinde, observed that the theme is apt, as food security is highly dependent on planning and urban planning.

He expressed concerns that what used to be agric estates are fast becoming housing estates in the country.

Ayinde, a past president of NITP, described the late Olomola as a “treasure and someone, who loved professionalism and practised with passion.”

President of NITP, Nathaniel Atebije, represented by the National Secretary, Gbenga Ashiru, said the late Olomola was a prominent and rounded figure, who made young professionals embraced the town planning profession.

On his part, President of ATOPCON, Adebisi Adedire, stated that practitioners must learn to honour leaders, who are making significant contributions to the development of the profession while still alive.

IN a related development, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have concluded plan to transform global food systems from farm to table, through their integrated projects in Kebbi and Niger states.

In addition, they said this is in line with the 2022-2027 National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) aimed at making the project sustainable, regenerative, nature-positive, resilient, inclusive, and pollution-free.

FAO Country Representative, Dominique K. Kouacou, disclosed this at a workshop in Abuja, commending government’s efforts to diversify Nigeria’s economy through agricultural development and ensuring food security in agriculture.

He explained that food systems are major drivers of global forest, biodiversity loss, land and soil degradation, water pollution and greenhouse gas emission, saying Global Environment Facility was financing projects like livestock and others in Niger-Benue River Basin.

According to Kouacou, the project document development would focus on strengthening food systems’ governance, thus supporting the introduction and improvement of sustainability standards, financial and risk mitigation products and incentive for system transformation.

Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako, said the workshop was aimed at introducing stakeholders to the programme and outlined the project preparation process to secure food amid crises like natural resource degradation, climate change and others.

Contributing, the Kebbi State Commissioner for Agriculture, Shehu Muazu, noted that to balance these demands and meet the needs of present and future generations, sustainable food and agriculture that ensures profitability, environmental health and equity is an imperative.

On his part, Niger State Commissioner for Livestock and Fisheries, Ibrahim Ijah, argued that to ensure provision of healthy and safe food in the light of escalating population growth, water scarcity and climate change, “we must address food availability, accessibility, stability and utilisation.”