It’s laughable when Nigerians claim they are hungry —Agric Minister

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, on Monday, said claims by Nigerians that hunger looms in the country was far from the truth.

He insisted that Nigeria had been exporting food to neighboring countries after it had successfully fed its citizens.

Nanono spoke at a press briefing to mark the 2019 World Food Day in Abuja.

He said, “I think we are producing enough to feed ourselves. I think there is no hunger in Nigeria; there could be inconveniences. When people talk about hunger in this government, I just laugh.”

He also stated that food is now cheaper in Nigeria compared to other countries.

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“In this country, it is fairly cheap to buy food,” he stated.

On closure of the nation’s borders, he explained that the Federal Government’s decision was borne out of the fact that neighbouring countries had turned Nigeria to a dumping ground for expired rice and other goods.

Nanono said, “That’s the basis for the closure of the border and I think Nigeria tried to make these neighbouring countries understand our predicament but to no avail. So long as these countries bordering us will not respect Nigerian stand on food importation, the borders will remain closed.”

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