Why Nigeria is grappling with rising banditry, kidnapping – Obasanjo

• He stated that the push toward food security in the country must involve food availability, affordability and accessibility

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has attributed the deepening security crisis in the country to dearth of jobs for the nation’s teeming youths.

He disclosed that the surge in activities of bandits and kidnappers could be linked to the unemployment situation in the country.

Obasanjo made the disclosure during his address at the 9th International Trade Exhibition & Conference on Agrofood, Plastics, Printing, and Packaging which was held in Lagos on Tuesday.

The trade fair was jointly organised by FairTrade Messe and the Organisation for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa.

“Of course, if we are able to achieve this, it will improve our security. Part of our insecurity are men and women that are not properly engaged. If we are able to give them employment, there will be less of them getting involved in banditry, in kidnapping and in doing various other criminal activities that they get involved in,” Obasanjo noted.

The former president opined that there was need to promote agribusiness for food security, nutrition security, employment, wealth creation, poverty elimination and income generation, particularly, foreign exchange.

He stated that the push toward food security in the country must involve food availability, affordability and accessibility.

Obasanjo said, “A friend of mine said to me, you must be a madman. I asked him what he meant, and he said if I was not a mad man I would not have gone into agriculture. So, I am a madman for agriculture. When it has to do with agriculture, you can be sure that when you call me, I will answer.

“Food security starts with availability. We must be able to produce enough. Then there is affordability. We must be able to get everybody who needs food to be able to get the food that they need. Then there is accessibility. We must get food to where it is needed.

“Almost 40 per cent of our food go to waste after cultivation. So, food security and nutrition security makes agribusiness important.”