Post-COVID-19: VC suggests measures to mitigate impact on food security, livelihood

The Vice-Chancellor, Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Professor Shehu Alhaji Musa on Thursday canvassed a renewed structural national action plan on agriculture to mitigate the post-COVID-19 pandemic impact on the Nation’s food security and growth.

Also, the renowned Agro-Economist suggested appropriate Interswitch between the burden of life, livelihood and liberty in the era of the pandemic as the nation struggles to survive the imposition of lockdown, which invariably slow down economic viability and food production in the country.

Speaking to journalists in Kano on the global pandemic and potential impact on the agric sector, Professor Shehu explained that government and concern stakeholders have the responsibility to strengthen the capacity of farmers to feed the nation sufficiently.

Professor Shehu Musa who believed that COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly slowed down food production and badly trickles economic activities in the country, however, expressed optimism that the nation can still recover from the lost session and sufficiently feed itself if necessary mechanism are put in place.

The Vice-Chancellor suggesting the way forward, advocated supply of agric input to farmers and technology to increase production.

He tasked appropriate authorities to use the advantage of the onset of rainfall to resuscitate and adopt irrigation farming to diversify production.

He said, ” At this critical time in the existence of entity Nigeria, we must understand and appreciate the impact of border closure ordered by Federal government. It is better to imagine what could have happened if the country is still depending on food importation when the global economy is at lower help. Many developed countries now shut their borders to avoid the spread of COVID-19. That could have been a double tragedy for Nigeria.

” But, we just have to double the capacity of our farmers to produce more as the nation gradually battles the reality of post-COVID-19. We need to increase the level of extension service workers to educate farmers. We need to build linkages between research institutes and farmer groups to multiply production level.

“Our abandoned irrigation farming need to be resuscitated and it is high time Nigeria adopt technological farming like greenhouse agriculture and mechanization. Again, we know the government has done a lot in the area of intervention especially the anchor borrower scheme. Yet government need to do more essentially funding provision of agric inputs for farmers”.

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Professor Shehu who postulated the need for government to device workable policy to juxtapose citizen’s life, livelihood and liberty, reminded the urgent alternative to restarting the economic activities in the country.

According to him, the government has the primary responsibility to protect life and property of citizens from the deadly pandemic, hence the stringent but necessary imposition of lockdown, which he said was intended to slow down the spread of the virus.

He continued, ” at the same time, citizens require means of livelihood to survive. Now, with the lockdown, residents we need to battle between life and livelihood. And this is where the issue of palliatives set in.

“Let me applaud governments for a timely response on the provision of foods and material needs to less privilege who cannot go fetch for their daily bread. Also, corporate entities as well as a complemented government action plan on palliatives. Again, the government need to ensure, right policies are put in right places to limit the prolonged lockdown because it may also inflict needless difficult on the fundamental liberty of citizens as enshrined in 1999 constitution”. Professor Shehu clarified.