Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has criticised the food security policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, arguing that Nigeria’s hunger situation has worsened despite government interventions in the agricultural sector.
In a statement on Thursday, Obi said that although the Tinubu administration had highlighted several achievements in agriculture as part of its three-year scorecard, the country’s food security indicators continue to deteriorate.
According to him, one of the administration’s key initiatives was the declaration of a state of emergency on food security in July 2023, alongside the acquisition of 2,000 tractors and 9,000 farming implements under what the government described as “Nigeria’s largest agricultural mechanisation programme.”
However, Obi maintained that the outcomes of these measures have not translated into improved food security for Nigerians.
He noted that Nigeria’s ranking on the global hunger index has declined from 103rd out of 123 countries surveyed in 2022/2023 to 115th out of 123 countries in 2025/2026, placing the country among the world’s most food-insecure nations.
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election also cited World Bank projections that about 33 million Nigerians could face severe hunger.
He argued that Nigeria should not be counted among the world’s hungriest nations, considering its vast agricultural potential and large expanse of uncultivated arable land, particularly in the northern region.
“I have always maintained that Nigeria has no reason to be seen among the hungriest nations in the world when we have vast uncultivated land in the North, which is our greatest asset today,” he said.
Obi called for greater transparency and investment in agricultural production, stressing that increased support for the sector would not only enhance food security but also create employment opportunities for millions of Nigerians.
“We must transparently invest in agricultural production, which will guarantee food security and create huge employment opportunities,” he added.
