FOOD SCARCITY: We are all contributors to our own problems

A concerned citizen was reacting to the issues of food scarcity and food insecurity in Nigeria by going against netizens who are calling for farmers to hoard their farm produce with the aim of making more profit.

The passionate mother who does not want her name to be mentioned was indirectly responding to an X (formerly Twitter) user, who said in a tweet that farmers should hoard their goods particularly Dry Maize. 

Mr. Lanre popularly known as NaijaFarmer on X, made the call which has generated a lot of reactions said "If you have dry Maize both New & Old don't sell it now! Stop Selling! Hoard it..."

In responding to such call, she said the call for food hoarding is ''extremely self-centered and not conducive for business".

"The issue lies in the use of the word "hoard" and the phrase "our time has come." They come across as extremely self-centered and not conducive to business.

Why should other Nigerians not think selfishly? Why should we suffer while waiting for the farmer's time to come? Why should we purchase Nigerian rice that has been repackaged as foreign rice? Why should we suffer when our food is being exported across the border to other countries to export across theirs. 

We are all contributors to our own problems. While you might be honorable, the majority of Nigerians are not, so we cannot assume that this farmer is either. It seems like he wants to eat  his cake and have it. Well, we hope he has amassed enough.

Capitalism is capitalism. You don't think like a capitalist while expecting interventions when others are starving. 

So then since farmers can selfishly hoard produce, the government can selfishly open the borders and let people eat first. When the hoarded food is released, the importation will stop. 

Food has become too expensive and simply unaffordable and the government must think about everyone not just the farmers, she concluded."

The author writes from Abuja, Nigeria.