Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has pointed out that Nigeria grapples with the second highest rate of food insecurity in the world.
Speaking with media practitioner Lara Adekoro, Gates shed light on the dire state of nutrition in Nigeria and across the African continent.
He emphasized that the crisis is exacerbated by climate change, among other pressing factors.
He added that the relentless march of environmental degradation has led to the disappearance of once-fertile arable lands, driving food prices to unprecedented heights and leaving millions in perilous hunger.
“Nigeria today has the second highest rate of food insecurity on earth, and climate change is only accelerating the problem.
“Arable land has disappeared. Pests have wiped out harvests. And prices for staple foods have soared. Climate-related losses on many African farms are more than double those seen globally. The poorest farmers are the ones hit hardest, having to cope with more droughts, pests, and diseases, which in turn exacerbate food shortages, and push up food prices”, he added.
Gates said, “By 2050, climate change will condemn nearly 40 million more children to stunting—in addition to the 400 million children who already aren’t getting enough nutrients.”
He said his foundation has been working with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation to better understand the climate-induced hunger crisis.
The good news, he noted, is that the pace of innovation is accelerating just as quickly as climate change.
“Our vision is an agricultural transformation led by smallholder farmers, who have the knowledge, tools, and technologies to improve their livelihoods”, he submitted.
