Former President of Nigeria warns of food crisis

Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has warned African nations to brace themselves for a food crisis to follow the coronavirus outbreak.

In a statement issued on Monday by his aide Kehinde Akinyemi, the former president is said to be concerned over governments relying on foreign imports and not prioritising “self-sufficiency”.

He spoke to his aide by the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Lake pond, where roughly 50,000 fish, both catfish and tilapia species, have been released for to populate it and grow to adult size.

Chief Obasanjo warned, "There may be food problems in the continent after the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We must think out of the box to get this solved now.

He said, "Food must be made available […] I think we have to take the issue of post-COVID-19 seriously.

"I believe most African governments have to find how to be self-sufficient in essential food items.

"Because food may be a problem and I don't think most African countries have gone as far as they should go into food production during this year".

Chief Obasanjo has also recently authored a book with The Brenthurst Foundation titled The Asian Aspiration, on how and why rapidly developing African nations should model their economies on Asian countries.

The book charters the experience of Singapore, Vietnam, and Japan to name but a few, noting how their economic success has erupted in tandem to their population growth. Former President Obasanjo writes on how already economically successful countries such as Nigeria can grow following the Asian model, and how less successful nations can change their fortunes.

The Asian Aspiration was released earlier this year.

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