Governor Ganduje expresses optimism over sustainable national food systems in Nigeria
The Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has expressed hope that one day Nigerians would have a country devoid of hunger and malnutrition, as the country intensifies the implementation pathways for inclusive and sustainable national food systems.
Penpushing reports that Ganduje represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji stated this at the Zonal Consultation Workshop on the Development Strategy for Food Systems Transformation Pathways, in Kano
“It gives me hope that one day we will have a country devoid of hunger and malnutrition. This implementation pathways consultative workshop will lead the country towards sustainable National Food System, improve food security, reduce hunger and prevalence of malnutrition all in line with the national food and nutrition policy for Nigeria”, Ganduje said
Penpushing further reports that he acknowledged that the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning; and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, had laid a solid foundation for the institutionalization of food system transformation pathways in Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Ernest Umakhihe in his contributions noted that the Food Systems Transformation Agenda was not a Federal Government programme, but one that called for concerted efforts of everyone, including the states, local government, private sector, development partners and the citizens as food security was a critical aspect of life and survival.
Penpushing also reports that represented by the Ministry’s Director of Irrigation Agriculture and Crop Development, Mrs Sugra Mahmood, the Permanent Secretary noted that the food system was aimed to improve productivity and sustainability,
‘The Food System Pathways aim to improve the productivity and sustainability of the food system while promoting health and nutrition, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and enhancing socio-economic development in Nigeria. It is therefore incumbent on all of us to work collaboratively to ensure adequate food and nutritional security”.
Penpushing reports that, National Convener of the United Nations(UN) Food Systems in Nigeria, Dr Sanjo Faniran spoke on the topic “Overview of the Food Systems Transformation Pathways in Nigeria: The Journey So Far”
The Convener who doubles as Director of Social Development Federal Ministry of Finance and National Planning (Panning Arm) pointed out that recommendations made by more than 4,000 participants during over 40 food systems dialogues had yielded six clusters of necessary actions.
Penpushing further reports that Faniran said these clusters, were to improve food security and nutrition; increase access to factors necessary for food production; Improve food aggregation, storage, processing, and market access.
The Director added that it will also facilitate consumption of adequate amounts of nutritious, safe, and healthy foods; improve food-related policies and standards, as well as promote reconciliation and peace building; and conduct research and make inventions that will increase the continuous availability and accessibility of nutritious foods.
The Kano State Commissioner for Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Yusuf Jbril Rurum in his own remarks said that the Kano State Government had shown commitment towards improving food production, processing and access to market for the State’s teeming smallholder farmers.
“The State Government is determined to implement the priority actions and strategies of the National Food Systems Transformation Pathways towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in agriculture”, he assured
Penpushing also reports that the commissioner explained that to improve value chain and market system development for improved productivity, livelihoods and poverty reduction, the State Government is promoting community warehousing through construction of 11 commodity aggregation and 3 cottage processing centers across the state to boost and develop Business Alliances and Off-takers arrangements among farmers.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Country Director, Ms Dede Ekoug who was represented by Dr Priscilla Achakpa emphasized the importance of food systems transformation agenda for Nigeria as progress in that area was being challenged by internal and external factors including climate change in the recent flood, the Ukraine war, the exchange rate of fuel, and the energy crisis.
“Many actors including development partners and donors are working with the government to address the food system agenda. The present consultation provides us a platform to exchange our interventions and initiative in the sector to enhance synergy and draw lessons to scale up and accelerate progress”, she said.
Penpushing reports that Commissioner for Ministry of Planning and Budget, Kano State, Alhaji Ibrahim Dan-Azumi Gwarzo restated government’s strong commitment to the realisation of food security and access to good nutrition, through its sustainable efforts in reducing hunger and malnutrition, using a multi-sectoral approach, including different interventions at the state, local and community levels.
The United Nations(UN) Secretary-General António Guterres in September, 2021, it is recalled convened a Food Systems Summit as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Penpushing further reports that the summit launched bold new actions to deliver progress on all 17 SDGs, each of which relies to some degree on healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems, and awakened the world to the fact that we all must work together to transform the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food.
The Nigerian government in response to the call by the United Nations(UN) Secretary General that countries should look inward and identify the challenges of food from the farm to the dining table, set the balls rolling in 2021 with the inception workshop on the United Nations(UN) Food Systems Summit to actualize Food Systems transformation in the country.
Penpushing also reports that the United Nations (UN) Food System Summit provided opportunity to governments and other stakeholders to identify and implement reforms that would transform food systems towards achieving the SDGs.
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