SLC-S29/W1-“Thinking and Ideas!| If You Were in Charge!”

Nigeria is a land which God as bless with fertile soil, good rainfall, and hardworking people. But the truth is that, hunger is still disturbing many families. Market price do rise every day, and ordinary people do struggle to buy common garri, rice, or beans. I have seen with my own eyes how family do manage one small pot of soup for three days. It's a true fact which brings pain. Though the price of things as gone down a bit for some time now.

Leadership is not perfection, it's decision. Therefore, if i do have the chance to be in charge for one year, I will surprise many people with the issue which I will treat first.

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However, the first issue I will address which people might not think of is; Food security and agriculture development. Nigeria do import too much food, yet our land can feed us. Farmers have suffer because they don't have support, and middlemen always eat all the profit.

I will start by giving farmers access to loan without stress, provide modern tools, and build storage facilities so that thier harvest won't spoil. I will also encourage youths to enter farming by making agriculture attractive with technology like irrigation, mechanized tractor, and digital market.

I will make farming a clean and interesting job for everyone — not the dirty work which people do run from. With modern tools, protective gear, and organized system, believe me farming will look more professional, and youths will see it as a career which can be respected.

I choose food security because hunger is the most basic problem which disturb Everyone. A country can survive without steady electricity for some time, people can manage bad road, but nobody can survive without a food. That is why this issue pass other issues.

• Main True Fact – The Rising Food Prices: However, in Nigeria today, price of simple food like rice, beans, and garri do rise and fall almost every month. According to research which I did, almost more than 20 million Nigerians have food insecure, meaning that they are not sure of their next meal. Many families have struggle to afford three square meals. This is a clear evidence that food security is weak.

• Classic Reason – Foundation of Life: Food is the first need of any man. No doubt ,if people don't eat, I don't think they can have the energy to go to school, they can't work, and they can't even think of security. Hunger do make people desperate, and desperate people can enter crime or violence.

• Real Incident – Farmers Struggle: Nigeria farmers are hardworking, but they suffer because they don't have modern tools, storage facilities, or access to loan. Many times, thier harvest do spoil because there's no storage, and farmers will lose money. I remember one tomato farmer which lose almost half of his harvest because there's no cold storage. That was the real fact which shows that agriculture needs urgent attention.

• Economic Angle – Job Creation: Truth br told, agriculture can employ millions of youths. Nigeria has fertile land across states like Benue, Nasarawa, and Kaduna even in Akwa ibom. If we invest very well, we won't only feed ourselves, we can even start exporting foods too and earn.

• Health Angle – Malnutrition: Many Nigerian children do suffer from malnutrition because some food which they eat is not balanced or affordable. If we secure food, we can secure good health of future generation.

So, I choose food security because it's the most reasonable and classic foundation for national progress. Every other development — education, electricity, security — will surely fail if hunger do rule the land.

Well, I was thinking about this too. The difficult decision I will make is to ban excessive food import and force investment in local farming. Nigerians are used to imported rice, frozen chicken, and foreign wheat.

If I ban it, people , including the citizens and other governments officials, can complain that local product is not enough or are not fine. But if we don't take that bold step, our farmers won't ever grow.

I will redirect government money into supporting local farmers, building silos, and training them. However, though it won't be just easy at my first trial, I can surely say that with time, Nigeria will definitely and finally stand out strong as one of the greatest food‑secure nation.

However I will surely explain it with honesty and clear facts:

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“My people, I know that banning food import do pain. But let's us all reason it Every year, we always spend billions of money to import rice and chicken, foreign fruits,yet our farmers are poor and our country is not improving in terms of food distribution. If we use that money to support our very own local farmers, we will surely get cheaper food tomorrow. It's just a short pain for a long gain. Today we might complain, but tomorrow our children will enjoy affordable food which Nigeria produce.”

I will also show them some examples. For countries like Brazil and India, government always invest in agriculture, and now the export food and earn money. Nigeria can do the same if we believe in our land.

Leadership is all about making bold choice. If I wear the shoe for one year, I will focus on food security and agriculture because it's the most important issue which can change Nigeria from the stomach. I will choose it over electricity, education, or road because hunger can affect all sectors.The difficult decision I will make is to ban excessive food import and redirect the money into farming. I will explain to my people with honesty, showing them how the sacrifice today will bring better tomorrow.

Nigeria is a fertile land, but land without support is a waste. If I'm in charge, I will make sure that every family will eat three square meal, every farmer will smile, and every youth will see future inside agriculture. I will make farming clean, modern, and interesting with tools which will turn it into respected profession. That is the real foundation of national progress.

Cc:
@ninapenda