According to statistics from the 2024 Cadre Harmonise report, over 31.8 million Nigerians are suffering from acute food insecurity, affecting mostly women and children who are also victims of malnutrition. The food crisis is attributed to high inflation, insecurity, economic hardship, and climate change.
The situation worsened after May 29, 2023, as a surge in food commodity prices followed the removal of the fuel subsidy. This, along with security challenges, has pushed millions of Nigerians into poverty and hunger. Development partners, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), GAIN, GIZ, and Agsys, highlighted these issues at the Joint Review Meeting on the implementation of food systems in Nigeria, held from August 26-27, 2024.
Stakeholders at the meeting advocated for a multi-sectoral approach involving collaboration and partnerships between the public and private sectors to tackle food insecurity. Notably, the Green Money Project (GMP), recently launched as a presidential initiative, aims to involve youths in modern agricultural practices. However, everyone can contribute to increasing food production before applying technology across the value chain of processing, preservation, and marketing.
One innovative approach is growing plants using air, which can be done right from our homes. In fact, a group of farmers in Nigeria is using a technology-based method called aeroponics to grow crops from moisture in the air. This method does not involve soil; instead, plant roots hang in the air and absorb a nutrient solution from a watery mist.
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