Governor Uzodinma warns Nigerians of the dangers of too much reliance on importation
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma has expressed alarm about Nigeria’s growing reliance on imports and disregard for agriculture. Uzodinma cautioned that if this trend persists, Nigeria would eventually have to purchase palm wine from China during a pre-convocation lecture at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU).
The Governor lamented that despite Nigeria’s vast arable land and large population, the country is still struggling to feed its citizens and create jobs for its youth. “I’m of the view that agriculture remains the basis for national development and national security,” he said. Uzodinma blamed the nation’s challenges on the abandonment of agriculture after the discovery of crude oil, saying, “We adopted petro-dollar and orphaned agri-dollar.”
Represented by his Commissioner for Education, Professor Victor Nwachukwu, Uzodinma urged state governors to emulate the late Michael Okpara’s green revolution, which saw agriculture as the backbone of the economy. He also called on regional organizations like Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the South East Economic Development Fund to invest in agricultural research to boost food production in the region.
The Governor highlighted the need to preserve indigenous agricultural assets, such as the Igbo cow (ehi Igbo), local fowls (okuko Igbo), and raffia palm trees (ngwo), which he noted are now going extinct. “If we do not do the needful, we will one day be importing palm wine and ‘ugba’ from China,” Uzodinma warned.
He criticized universities of agriculture for focusing too much on theoretical knowledge and failing to lead in practical farming. “How many of you here eat bananas and plantains harvested from your farm?” he questioned. He challenged these institutions to spearhead agricultural research and train farmers on innovative technologies to improve productivity.
Uzodinma also emphasized the importance of establishing agro-processing factories to process Nigeria’s raw farm produce. He argued that exporting raw materials like cocoa only to import finished products at high prices was economically unwise.
Citing Malaysia as an example, the Governor pointed out how the country, which once relied on Nigeria for palm fruits, has become the world’s leading exporter of palm oil, with agriculture contributing 8% of its GDP and employing 10% of its workforce. He contrasted this with Ukraine, which, despite being at war, remains the world’s top wheat exporter, while Nigeria struggles with food security during peacetime.
Uzodinma concluded by stating that agriculture is essential for Nigeria’s development, noting that “a country that achieves success in agriculture will most likely fast-track its national development.” He called for urgent action to revive agriculture, ensuring food security, poverty reduction, and sustainable industrial growth.
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