Former President of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said that zero hunger will definitely reduce or eliminate completely the scourge of insurgency in the northeast.

The former President who was a guest of the third pair review of the states involved in the zero hunger programme for Nigeria in Maiduguri Thursday said that twenty-five out of twenty-six young people are in insurgency because they do not have work to do.

Chief Obasanjo said that the zero hunger programme will surely engage the young people of the northeast and Nigeria if well coordinated by the states concerned so that their attention will not be diverted into an insurgency.

The former President of Nigeria said that out of the seventeen sustainable development goals, set by the united nations, zero hunger has a validation for fourteen of them which is why it cannot be ignored by any African.

“Let me assure you that we are not trying to bring more policies beyond what exists now, we have many of these policies that can take us to where we must be.

“As a matter of fact, we are trying our best to help the sector to grow regardless of lack of funds and the ability to ensure that the agro sector is resuscitated. This is what we are into, making sure that hunger is put at bay especially in the northeastern corner of Nigeria.

“Indeed twenty five out of twenty-six were into Boko Haram because they had no job as such zero hunger will break the circle of this dangerous way which is not making progress in the country. We will not relent till they get to the bottom of that matter.” He noted.

Obasanjo assured that partner governments have to bring the young men into a grid for proper coordination adding that it will surely help in fighting the backbone of insurgency in the state.

In his remarks, Governor of Borno state, Kashim Shettima said that the two days meeting is a follow up on the last pair review session held in Abakaliki, Eboyin state.

He said that the war against zero hunger must be won against all costs before 2025 because that is a great opportunity to achieve success in food production.

According to him, “we must fight poverty to end the lingering insurgency which has engulfed the northeast of Nigeria.”

Food and Agricultural Organization FAO representative in Nigeria Suffyan Koroma called on President Obasanjo to use his tremendous influence to extend the zero hunger programme to the rest of Africa.

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