By Olugbenga Salami
Founder and chairman of Eden Moringa Productions and Marketers Limited, Dr. Ashimashiga Michael Akoloaga, has urged the Federal Government to scale up local production of organic fertilizer and moringa.
Speaking weekend lin Nyanya, Abuja, at the opening of Moringa House, Akoloaga said many Nigerian farmers are stranded due to a shortage of chemical fertilizer.
He linked the scarcity to the ongoing US‑Israel conflict with Iran, which has disrupted global fertilizer supply chains.
As of April 2026, the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has halted shipments of key nutrients and raw materials, he said, lamenting that disruption has triggered sharp price spikes, especially for nitrogen‑based fertilizers critical to crop yields.
The International Monetary Fund, IMF, warned that the war has clouded sub‑Saharan Africa’s economic outlook as oil, gas and fertilizer prices climb.
IMF estimates show a 20 percent rise in international food prices could push over 20 million people in the region into moderate or severe food insecurity.
Against that backdrop, Akoloaga cautioned that the Middle East crisis will hurt Nigeria’s food production unless government backs homegrown organic fertilizer.
He stressed that Dangote Refineries alone cannot meet the fertilizer demand of Nigerian farmers.
Akoloaga also decried unfavorable policies toward private enterprises, urging government to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, create jobs and reduce insecurity.
He highlighted moringa’s value for health, wellness and income, arguing that Nigeria cannot beat poverty, unemployment and health challenges without deliberate investment in moringa products.
“There are many sicknesses orthodox medicines cannot cure that herbal products like moringa can address,” he said.
Also speaking, the founder of Segom International, Professor Samuel Eduviere, asked the government to partner with Eden Moringa Productions and create policies that drive economic growth.
He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to work with the Eden Moringa Group to generate mass jobs for youth and women while improving citizens’ health and economic well‑being.
Similarly, Dr. Ignatius Onah, a pharmacist, urged both government and citizens to return to natural herbal products such as moringa.
Onah underscored the need for “defensive nutrition” and noted that dietary habits are a major driver of illness, pointing out the limits of orthodox medicine.
