Food Crisis: Allocate 24 Percent Of Budget  To Agriculture – Olotu

By Ayodele Oni

Former Senior Special Assistant, (SSA) on Agriculture and Agribusiness in Ondo State has urged Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to dedicate at least 24 percent of the state’s 2025 budget to agriculture to enhance food production.

He explained that the advice was necessary as more food crisis is imminent going by present climatic condition.

Olotu spoke at the annual lecture series of the Correspondents Chapel of the Ondo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Akure.

“There should be aggressive rural transformation. The government needs to curb rural-urban drift. If we do not have rural transformation, we are going no where.

“In the months ahead, there will be more food crisis. The present climatic condition is not favourable to farming activities.

“Something has to be done. Food crisis is still ahead. President Bola Tinubu has to set target for the state and local councils. Presently, Nigeria’s poultry industry has collapsed.”

He catalogue several efforts by previous administration in the state to boost food production.

Olotu, who served in the administration of late former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, disclosed that the former Governor cultivated 87,000 hectares of oil palm out of a target of 100,000  to achieve ‘Red gold’ revolution.

From the effort, Olotu said the initiative created over 30,000 jobs

“Ondo State has 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.

The former Akeredolu aide who said his previous warning on food crisis was ignored said this year’s climatic condition was not favourable to farming.

He took a swipe at agricultural research institutes for not living up to expectations of Nigerians to tackle food crisis as well as bridging the gap between research and knowledge.

“Nigeria is importing oil palm heavily. We need concerted effort to tackle food shortage. We need to plan, we need to know where we are and where we are going to.”

Governor Aiyedatiwa, who was represented by Secretary to the State Government, Tayo Oluwatuyi, pointed out that the administration has embarked on several initiatives to boost food production in the country and improved welfare of the citizens.