Yahaya: Food crisis triggered by insecurity in north

Inuwa Yahaya, governor of Gombe, says Nigeria’s food crisis is caused by insecurity in the northern region, assuring that the state is working with the federal government to address scarcity and inflation.

Yahaya took the position while commenting on the 2023 national assessment report by the State Performance Index (SPPI) after meeting with Vice-President Kashim Shettima in Abuja, on Friday.

The governor said the state and federal governments are working to implement drastic measures to bring about a return to normalcy, adding that the food crisis is not only prevalent in Nigeria but globally.

He said the challenges confronting the world are not the same, saying that insecurity has bedevilled the north; especially north-west and north-east.

“Notwithstanding, we are making serious efforts to ensure that we restore normalcy by providing security to enable the people to go back to their farms. So we have our strategies for both the short, medium and long term,” he said.

Yahaya also said each state has its issues but promised to work with the federal government to ensure that very soon “we overcome the challenges”.

GOMBE TO REMAIN BUSINESS FRIENDLY

Meanwhile, in the 2023 national assessment report by SPPI, Gombe state topped Nigeria’s socioeconomic index for 2023.

SPPI is an independent organisation that provides insights into the socioeconomic performance and risk profiles of Nigerian states.

According to the report, Gombe had the highest point in most of the socioeconomic parameters considered, which include: economic potentials, socioeconomic performance, and risk management.

At the regional level, the report indicated that the state stands out as the top-performing state in the northeast affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

“Despite being in the least position in terms of socio-economic potential, the Gombe State government; efficiently utilized its limited resources to drive significant socio-economic performance,” SPPI said.

Furthermore, the report attributed the high rating of Gombe to “the continuity in government, ongoing investments in infrastructure, alignment with federal initiatives, economic diversification, and strategic agricultural programmes”.

On the index, Gombe is followed by Jigawa (2nd), Ekiti (3rd) and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) (4th).

Yahaya said his administration will keep creating an atmosphere that encourages businesses to prosper in the state.

He said there is no magic about how the state emerged as the best among its peers on the socioeconomic index.

“There is no miracle, it is just commitment, hard work and dedication,” the governor said.

“Over the time, since I became Governor, I made sure that I maintain focus and a clear vision. We made sure we consistently monitored the progress of the state economically, vis-à-vis the needs of the people and the mood of the country.

“So all those things joined together gave us victory. Socio-economic development means every aspect of human development.”

Yahaya said the effort made in Gombe is being recognised and he would remain focused on consistently delivering on the needs of the people.