2019 Sunhak Peace Prize Laureate, Akinwumi Adesina - 'To Create New Zones of Hope and Prosperity via Agriculture is the Fastest Way that You Can Block Off Terrorists from Operating in Fragile Environments'

Author:: Sunhak Peace Prize
Publisher:: Sunhak Peace Prize
Publication Date:: 23 September 2019
Tags:: Africa, Conflict, Peace and Security, Food and Agriculture

When you look at the whole issue of peace and security, take the case of another Nigeria. I come from Nigeria, there was a cast lake over there, in the 1960s, it was roughly about 25,000 kilometers square wide. Today, it's 2,500 kilometers wide. The water is gone, the livelihood is gone and what happens? All of a sudden, terrorists show up in this area that used to be thriving. Boko Haram takes over the whole area. So, it means that the livelihoods go down, in the rural economy, the terrorists have wide zones to recruit from. So, being able to revive rural economies, to create new zones of hope and prosperity via agriculture is the fastest way that you can block off terrorists from operating in fragile environments. So, that is why you see that, for the Sunhak Peace Prize, I feel very much honored that my work in making this connection is very well appreciated. Because I don't think it's just about food. It's about all the things that I have told you about. And, there a reason why God gave us the stomach. He didn't create the stomach to be empty. It has to be filled. So, we've got to make sure that we fill the stomachs and people are happy, they generally have a peaceful environment.