The Federal Government of Nigeria and the United Nations have both urged for a comprehensive strategy to addressing food insecurity in Nigeria. The FG made the announcement on Wednesday at the Pre-food Systems Stack-taking Moments media engagement in Abuja.
The Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, as well as the United Nations Information Centre, organized the event. On July 13, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu announced a state of emergency for food security.
The food system, according to FMFBNP Permanent Secretary Nebeolisa Anako, is the most sophisticated, with complex networks that involve input and output of food production processes and consumption. Anako said, “This is because the food produced through farming needs to pass through some stages before it goes to the stomach.
“The food system problem has been on transportation of food from the farm looking for seedlings to plant, to the time we plant.”
The Permanent Secretary noted that the FG is working towards reducing hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition. He noted “When you lack food, you cannot leave nutrition aside. It is about eating healthy food that will give human capita and healthy population.”
“We want to drastically reduce food importation and promote sustainable food trade as a country and we are getting there, this is a project that concerns all of us.”
Also, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ernest Umakhihe, said the call became important for stakeholders in the African sector to ensure food security.
Umakhihe, represented by the Director in charge of Nutrition and Food Safety at the ministry, Sugra Mahmood, noted “As we are all aware, our country is facing a severe crisis in line with the recent declaration on the state of emergency on food security and water by President Bola Tinubu.
“The declaration demands our utmost intention and collective efforts to address the perceived challenges, and explore the prospects of sustainable food security in Nigeria.”
In his remark, the Director of UNIC, Ronald Kayanja, stated “Nigeria is the biggest country in the continent, in terms of population. It is in everybody’s interest to have a well-functioning Nigeria and agriculture is the core of the economy.
“The president’s declaration on an emergency on food security alerts was needed to achieve the desired goal.”
