North Cries of Hunger, South Learns to Farm: The Turning Point Nigeria Ignored.
By Mogaji Wole Arisekola
Once upon a time, tales of famine and food shortages seemed remote, almost implausible. I held a firm belief that as long as Nigeria remained a united, indivisible nation, the North would invariably produce enough sustenance to nourish the entire country. With its expansive terrain and burgeoning populace, the North appeared destined to be our perpetual food haven. I thought, “As long as we maintain fraternal ties with the North, we shall never know hunger.” After all, Niger State alone surpasses the entire South West in size, while Kano State boasts a population exceeding that of the entire South East.
Indeed, I once contemplated marrying a woman from the North—specifically Katsina State. My rationale was pragmatic: if the ever-assertive Yoruba or Igbo chose to antagonize the North and, in retaliation, the North severed the food supply, I could simply relocate with my spouse to more secure, food-abundant territory. But alas, life has an uncanny way of proving us mistaken. Never in my wildest imaginings did I foresee the day when the North itself—the purported giant food producer of Nigeria—would cry out in protest over hunger. What a twist of fate! What irony of unfathomable magnitude!
Had I been more astute, I might have discerned the signs. The violent confrontations between herdsmen and farmers in the Oke Ogun region of Oyo State during Governor Lam Adesina’s tenure were foreboding. Former Governor Rasheed Ladoja, a visionary in his own right, responded to the crisis with long-term foresight. He dispatched young Oyo State graduates to Israel—a desert nation that miraculously sustains itself and even exports food—to study greenhouse farming. For context, Israel encompasses a mere 22,145 square kilometers, of which 21,671 are desert. Yet they have transformed sand into salads!
These graduates returned with life-preserving knowledge. They introduced the concept of greenhouse agriculture—a groundbreaking idea that sowed the seeds of food sustainability in Oyo State. Former Governor Ladoja remains one of the most intelligent and forward-thinking leaders to ever govern our beloved state. If not for “awon aseburuku se rere”—those mischievous agents of disruption—who derailed his administration, Oyo State would be light-years ahead today. Many of our so-called leaders made decisions devoid of foresight, as if they would reign eternally.
They overlooked one fundamental truth: power is transient, but the judgment of the Almighty is everlasting. Our Creator is Supreme, and He recalls whom He wills when the time comes. May the souls of our departed leaders rest in perfect peace. May Allah forgive them their shortcomings and grant them mercy beyond the grave.
Today, it is that same greenhouse farming that sustains Oyo State. Governor Seyi Makinde, our current helmsman, has not only embraced it—he’s expanded it. Under his administration, Oyo has attained a new level of agricultural autonomy. We no longer need to beseech the North for onions, tomatoes, or peppers. Imagine that! Once, a protest in Kano would cause pepper prices to quadruple in Ibadan. Now, thanks to strategic planning, we are no longer at the mercy of distant suppliers.
Nevertheless, the recent protests in the North over hunger are a resounding, urgent alarm. It is a message enveloped in desperation and anguish. If the North—the very region we once relied upon for sustenance—is now famished, then who is truly safe? The South West must heed this as a grave wake-up call. We must triple our investment in mechanized and modern agriculture or face unimaginable catastrophe.
There is fire on the mountain. You may not yet see the flames, but the smoke is rising. Food insecurity respects neither tribe, region, nor religion. If we do not act now, we may soon find ourselves in queues, pleading for grains. A word, they say, is enough for the wise.
Mogaji Wole Arisekola pens this from Ibadan.
