Malnutrition Looms In Nigeria - Buhari

Malnutrition due to scarcity of food, may soon be the lot of Nigerians if news reaching Nigeria natural Health Online is anything to go by.

The Presidency has raised the alarm that Nigeria, currently Africa's largest producer of cereals and grains, risks famine from early next year following a huge demand in the global market targeting the nation's surplus production.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said this while featuring on radio program in Kano yesterday.

The presidential aide told Pyramid Radio that the huge demand for Nigeria's grains in the global market was creating "an excellent environment for the mindless export of Nigerian grains across our borders and unless this curtailed, Nigerian markets will be bereft of food by January next year."

He noted that the Ministry of Agriculture had advised Buhari on the need to draw the attention of all Nigerians to this issue "which, if not addressed promptly, could lead to a shortage of grains in our country by January."

Shehu stated: "Over the past year, Providence has blessed Nigeria with a bountiful harvest of grains, more than enough to feed the country and to export to other countries. At present, there is a high demand for grains from Nigeria, from African countries as distant as Libya and Algeria, and from places as far away as Brazil.

"However, the Ministry of Agriculture has raised concerns about a massive rate of exportation, which could lead to a shortage of grains in Nigeria by January."

Shehu, who said Nigeria currently enjoys what he called a free market situation, stressed that "President Muhammadu Buhari is not in any way opposed to or intent on tampering with that."

He said exporters, on the other hand, also have a moral obligation to make their produce available to Nigerians who live within the country’s borders "to ensure that our citizens have access to food."

According to him, the Ministry of agriculture estimates that no fewer than 500 trucks laden with grain leave Nigerian markets every week headed for countries outside the borders.