Readers comments, by Prof. MK Othman

Readers comments, by Prof. MK Othman

Deep Thoughts with Othman

Un petit pose—to use the French language for a break. Again, this week, I am fulfilling my promise of sharing some of my readers’ views on several issues discussed in this column to provide broader perspectives for clarity. While I sincerely appreciate my readers’ effort to comment on the issues I raised, I cannot publish all the comments because of time, space, and currency. I selected a few comments to share this week and next week. I will resume the column with another topical issue for the pleasure of my esteemed readers, God willing. I wish my readers a happy and prosperous new year, 2024.

Kaduna NIPR Annual Lecture: Taliban Minna’s Moment of Glory at Information Minister’s Platform

Thanks, Prof, for a well-written article on the above subject, as usual. Your comment on the use of vaccines as a tool for population control is what caught my attention, and I would like to contest that assertion where you said:
“There are many strategies to arrest the runaway population growth, ranging from pills and contraceptives voluntarily administered to numerous vaccines – known and unknown, administered through public campaigns and propaganda—a grand global agenda for population control. Big charities and foundations are injecting billions of US dollars in support of birth control pills, family planning, and population control. What is it that we don’t know and is being kept away from us? Imagine pills administered to a teenager or at an adolescent age, and at the peak of the reproductive period, maybe in her twenties, and menopause suddenly occurs. It may not be unconnected with the past pills and vaccines administered under many guises. The damage to the reproductive cycle of the teenagers would have been irreversible.”

The merits of vaccines in the control of many infectious diseases have been demonstrated over the years. Smallpox readily comes to mind. By the time young men like us were born, the disease had been eradicated. The only traces left were the pockmarked faces of those who had survived it. Cholera, measles, and other childhood infectious diseases are diseases that vaccines have succeeded in eliminating in developed countries.

Anti-vaxxers will always capitalize on the side effects of vaccines to promote their agenda. However, empirical research will show that the benefits of vaccines far outweigh the risks of the side effects and not vaccinating at all.

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Lastly, there is no empirical evidence that vaccines being used contain sterilization and contraception agents. Contraceptives are marketed for the specific purpose of birth control. However, to suggest that vaccines contain sterilization agents is ultimately speculation.
Dr Isma’il Zubairu, Zaria 

Thank God for the maturity displayed between both men – Dr. Mua’zu Babangida Aliyu, Talban Minna, Sardaunan Hausa, Chief Servant, a former 2-term governor of Niger State under the PDP platform, and Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi, a former APC gubernatorial Aspirant of Niger state, current Minister of Information and Culture. I commend both men for being respectable gentlemen and maintaining a calm atmosphere during the Kaduna NIPR Annual Lecture.

On population explosion, suppose it is a valid prediction that by the year 2050, Nigeria will become the third most populous nation in the world. In that case, we need a lot to do to ensure food security in Nigeria so that people will not die of starvation and hunger. Now is the best time to revive the Nigerian Agricultural Sector as we prepare ourselves for the excellent task ahead of the nation in the year 2050.
Prof A. Opeyemi

Sasakawa-KNARDA-KSADP Model for Achieving Food Security: A Scalable Experiment

This excellent write-up paints a compelling picture of the Sasakawa-KNARDA-KSADP model’s remarkable success in Kano. It beautifully highlights the dedication, innovation, and collaborative spirit that have driven impressive results in yields, income, and overall impact on farmers’ lives. The 70% target achievement and significant increase in food production are commendable and serve as a hope for Nigerian agriculture. However, while celebrating Kano’s success, it’s crucial to self-reflect and challenge ourselves, particularly within our public funded Institutions. Our institutions must take the lead in driving Nigeria’s agricultural transformation. We must learn from the “Sasakawa spirit” of timeliness, thoroughness, and dedication. We must embrace a results-oriented culture where outputs and impact precede mere activities and processes. We must also proactively innovate, refusing every excuse for lack of production and productivity!
Prof Chris Daudu

Precarious Food Security in Nigeria: Can President Tinubu Change the Narrative?

We wish President Tinubu and his ministers well in the agricultural sector, where the President declared a state of emergency. In my small dream, when a state of emergency is declared, all bureaucracy and impediments to speedy emergency clearance are suspended. Structures comprising committees saddled with clear-cut responsibility reporting directly to Mr. President are put in place for a speedy return to normalcy. A desk office is opened and linked directly to the President of severe countries that have declared a state of emergency in agriculture. The President demands updates directly from the field through a dedicated line of communication every week. Matters of such importance should not be treated as political noise. We must be serious if we want to achieve self-sufficiency in food production. Several flaws marred our recent attempt by the government to plant 500,000 ha of wheat. Real farmers needed to be registered; those registered were not buoyant enough to acquire the wheat production package of N185,500. They resort to collecting 15,000–30,000 cash instead of the package. Merchants and even the suppliers of the wheat package pay the farmer a commission while cornering the package back to the market—no mechanism for checks and balances to address issues.

Farmers, as Prof. mentioned in the write-up, are in poverty; they were asked to pay 185,500 cash to collect a pack. Those who collect the pack by successfully paying the money need a water pump, a farm close to a water source, and fuel, with no subsidy, it would not be easy.
Prof Sani Isiaku 

Dear Prof., Kudos for the article on food security. Challenge no. 3, i.e., financial capability, is genuine. At Sabke Dam in Katsina State, I saw a large body of water and land left unutilized. On further interrogation of the farmers, they highlighted financial incapacity to buy farm inputs and fuel for irrigation pumps as their challenges. On further interrogation of their awareness of the existence of federal government support to wheat farmers, they indicated a lack of understanding and access. I believe “targeting” the actual farmers in the field is a big issue that must be addressed for better effectiveness of the intervention policy. Likewise, “stakeholder inclusion” in implementation is another big challenge that hinders policy and program execution in Nigeria in agriculture and all other sectors. Specifically, the non-inclusion of NAERLS in these processes is a big gap. My over 30 years as a small-scale farmer of crops and livestock have exposed me to the weakest link to productivity for all agricultural sectors: the “provision of field extension services for farmers.” Unless and until it is addressed, forget about achieving any severe results! Prof., once again, kudos to your efforts. One day, we will reverse gear and do the right things; only then will Nigeria have food security and economic development. Accept my warm regards.
Dr Zakari Ya’u 

Professor Othman is the Executive Director of National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), ABU Zaria.

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