Obasanjo reveals cause of banditry, kidnapping in Nigeria  

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has correlated the surge in banditry and kidnapping with the widespread unemployment in the nation.

He expressed this viewpoint while delivering a speech at the 9th International Trade Exhibition & Conference on Agrofood, Plastics, Printing, and Packaging in Lagos.

“If we are able to give them employment, there will be less of them getting involved in banditry, in kidnapping and in doing various other criminal activities that they get involved in.”

The ex-president, who labelled himself as fervently passionate about agriculture, emphasised the importance of advancing agribusiness to ensure food security, nutritional well-being, job opportunities, wealth generation, poverty reduction, and revenue, especially through foreign exchange.

He stressed that efforts to ensure food security should include ensuring the presence, affordability, and accessibility of food within the nation.

Obasanjo said: “Food security starts with availability. We must be able to produce enough. Then there is affordability. We must be able to get everybody who needs food to be able to get the food that they need.

“Then there is accessibility. We must get food to where it is needed.”