The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) says efforts are being intensified to further strengthen food security and employment to rebuild resilience among the vulnerable communities in the Northeast region of Nigeria.

Speaking during a field visit to the Gongulong insurgency-affected community on the outskirts of Maiduguri, Borno State, FAO’s Senior Emergency and Rehabilitation Officer, Borno State, Dunja Dujanovic, said empowerment of small-scale farm holders’ interventions is an integrated agricultural project that has been transforming people’s livelihoods since 2019.

According to her, the agricultural integrated initiative comprises crop production and aquaculture.

She stated that the combined agricultural practices will ensure the affected communities jointly cultivate and harvest food crops, while other farmers engage in fish farming to supplement their protein intakes with families.

Besides food security in the region, Dujanovic added: “After producing the fish, they are sold to private sector investors and other food processing centres, where fish is used as a key ingredient in fortified porridge aimed at preventing severe acute malnutrition (SAM) among children.