Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Simeon Ortuanya, has warned that Nigeria’s food security is being severely undermined by water scarcity, climate change and escalating banditry.
According to him, water, agriculture and security remain the three critical pillars of the country’s food system, but each has come under intense pressure due to environmental degradation, erratic rainfall and worsening insecurity across farming communities.
“Water scarcity threatens agricultural productivity, climate change has disrupted rainfall patterns, and banditry has displaced thousands of farmers,” he said. “These realities are directly undermining food security, peace, health and economic stability.”
Ortuanya spoke at the 2025 Policy Day of Environment for Development (EfD) Nigeria, hosted yesterday by the Resource and Environmental Policy Research Centre, Environment for Development (REPRC-EfD Nigeria), University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The event brought together senior policymakers, academics, security agencies and development partners, who collectively called for urgent reforms in natural capital management, water security, climate-smart agriculture and food system resilience.
The Policy Day also featured the presentation of three key research studies focusing on water scarcity, climate-smart agricultural systems and the impact of armed banditry on food production and rural livelihoods.
Represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (UNEC), Prof. J. U. J. Onwumere, the UNN VC urged participants to develop new strategies that can safeguard the country’s food system in an era of heightened environmental and security challenges.
Speaking on the theme, “Sustaining Natural Capital: Policy Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture and Urban Water Systems,” he said the university remains committed to generating evidence-based research that informs national development policies.
He commended REPRC-EfD Nigeria for producing research that supports government and stakeholders in designing solutions for sustainable water management, climate-smart agriculture and addressing the socio-economic impacts of insecurity.
