04042019 - Nigeria 7 other nstions home to world's hungriest - UN

vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews
Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 — 5
POCKET CARTOON
Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit —The President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote
(left) with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ojaja 11, at the Kaduna Economic and Investment
Summit in Kaduna, yesterday. Photo: Olu Ajayi.
Nigeria, 7 other nations home to
world’s hungriest—UN
•Let migration flow from aspiration, not desperation ——EU cautions
By Soni Daniel
ABUJA—No fewer
than 113 million
people experienced high
levels of food insecurity
in the world’s most
severe food crises in
2018. The Global Report
on Food Crisis 2019 has
found, some of them in
Nigeria and seven other
countries.
The report, which was
released, yesterday, in
Brussels, warned that
these food crises were
primarily driven by
conflict and climaterelated
disasters.
One of the key findings
of the report showed that
nearly two-thirds of
those facing acute
hunger live in
Afghanistan, the
Democratic Republic of
Congo, Ethiopia,
Nigeria, South Sudan,
Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
“The worst food crises
in 2018, in order of
severity, were: Yemen,
the Democratic Republic
of the Congo,
Afghanistan, Ethiopia,
the Syrian Arab Republic,
the Sudan, South Sudan
and Northern Nigeria.
“These eight countries
accounted for two-thirds
of the total number of
people facing acute food
insecurity, amounting to
nearly 72 million
people,” the report said.
Similarly, short-term
outlook of food
insecurity for 2019
showed that “Yemen, the
Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Afghanistan,
Ethiopia, the Syrian Arab
Republic, the Sudan,
South Sudan and
Northern Nigeria are
expected to remain
among the world’s most
severe food crises in
2019.
“Large segments of
populations in most of
these countries risk
falling into Emergency
(IPC/CH Phase 4) levels
of acute food insecurity.
“In the 16 states of
Northern Nigeria and
the Federal Capital
Territory, the number of
people in ‘Crisis’ and
‘Emergency’ decreased
by 40 per cent between
June and August 2017
and 2018 to 5.3 million.
“At the peak of the lean
season, three million
were acutely food
insecure in the three
North Eastern states
Calls on FG to allocate oil wells to states (3)
affected by the Boko
Haram insurgency
where protracted conflict
and mass displacement
disrupted agriculture,
trade, markets and
livelihoods, and pushed
up food prices,” the
report said.”
Food and Agriculture
Organisation, FAO’s
Director-General, José
da Silva, said despite a
slight drop in 2018 in the
number of people
experiencing acute food
insecurity, “the figure is
still far too high.
“We must act at scale
across the humanitariandevelopment-peace
nexus to build the
resilience of affected and
vulnerable populations.
To save lives, we also
have to save
livelihoods,” he added.
World Food Programme
Executive Director,
David Beasley, also said:
“While critical to saving
lives and alleviating
human suffering,
humanitarian assistance
does not address the root
causes of food crises.”
Beasley highlighted
the importance of
“attacking the root
causes of hunger—
conflict, instability, the
impact of climate
shocks.”
“Boys and girls need to
be well-nourished and
educated; women need
to be truly empowered.
Rural infrastructure must
be strengthened in order
to meet that ‘Zero
Hunger’ goal.
“Programmes that
make a community
resilient and more stable
will also reduce the
number of hungry
people,” he said.
Let migration
flow from
aspiration, not
desperation
—EU cautions
This came as the
European Union
cautioned individuals
and nations to allow
migration to flow from
genuine personal
aspirations and not
through desperation that
could result in
exploitation and other
dire consequences.
The Head of the EU
Delegation to Nigeria
and ECOWAS,
Ambassador Ketil
Continues on Page 41
By Bose Adelaja, Ebun Sessou,
Yinka Latona, Chiamaka Uba,
Dickson Omobola&Tolulope Oke
If the Federal
Government decides to
give the oil blocs to state
governments, it is a
welcome development.
The state governments
should be able to
manage their allocations
in such a way that it
would be for the benefit
of the entire citizenry.
Mr. Odeh Ogheneman,
Analyst
Iam actually indifferent
to the issue.
Whichever way is good.
However, I am afraid that
the proceeds from the oil
blocs may not be used for
the common man.
That is the most
important thing.
Mr.Aderotimi Adeloye
Engineer
I
think the
Federal Government
should grant oil block
licences to state
governments.
The fees for renewal
would also add to the
revenue of states.
They should go ahead
and give the states the
licences.
Mr. Adeosun Quadri
Student
I don’t think
oil licences should be
granted to state
governments. I think the
federal government
should take full charge to
avoid problems. States
will always put their
interests first but the
federal government has
the interest of the nation
at heart.
Mr. Oke Mayowa
Businessman
It would have been a
good thing because it
would boost the
revenue of state
governments. It may
encourage corruption
and godfatherism. If that
is the case, it wouldn’t
benefit the masses.
Mr. Babawale Ifetobi
Entrepreneur
The
Federal
G o v e r n m e n t
should not give oil
bloc licences to the states.
Everyone wants to live
at the expense of the
state and the state wants
to live at the expense of
everyone. The Federal
Government should not
make the mistake of
allowing the states to own
oil blocs.
Mr. Oladeji Felix Analyst