The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari has pledged the resolve of the Federal Government to mitigate the issue of food security and flooding among other challenges facing the sector to enhance food production.

Kyari, who stated this during an event organised by Hope For Life Initiative (HFLI) in Lagos, to mark the World Food Day 2023, said the challenges in the sector are not insurmountable, noting that it was the drive that propelled President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare emergency in food security to revive and secure the nation’s food and nutrition security.

Represented by the Principal Vet Officer, Lagos, Dr. Awele Onaga, the minister said it is exciting to note that HFLI’s efforts at giving platforms impact on the lives of the less privilege members of the society with particular attention on women and children, perfectly aligns with particular attention to developing and empowering the women and youth, especially in the agricultural value chain.

“The agricultural sector has significantly supported infrastructural development and socio-economic transformation for our rural communities. Agricultural sector occupies the driver’s seat in the quest to divest the economy from petroleum to the non-oil sectors.”

In her remarks, the Founder/Executive Director of HFLI, Kendi Aig-Imoru, said the event was borne out of the important role of food, which she says connects people.

She said the event underscored the plight of 2.4 billion people in water-stressed countries and 600 million reliant on aquatic food systems, who face pollution, ecosystem degradation, and climate change impacts.

According to her, the event would serve as a rallying point for governments, businesses, civil society organisations, and the public to collectively combat hunger and raise awareness about the profound impact of responsible water management in the agrifood systems.

“Food is everything to everyone. We plant, we grow and we harvest. When we harvest, we eat and of course we earn money. At Hope for life Initiative, what we are doing is what I call a revolution, a food revolution, so let’s begin to recalibrate for sustainability and for inclusion in the food revolution.

“To achieve an important goal of food security, food is everything, food is life, food is a gift, food is our gift,” she said.The representative of the U.S. Consulate, Lagos, Brittany Orange, who disclosed that Nigeria’s success is important to the United States, noted that its diplomatic presence in Nigeria is one of America’s largest and most dynamic missions in all of Africa.

“But critical to Nigeria’s success is water safety, food security, and sustainable economic development. As highlighted in today’s message, water is life. In Nigeria, the U.S. government recognises the importance of water access for consumption and agricultural use. Through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. government is investing over $67m to foster closer coordination with federal and state government agencies to improve access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services.

“This includes a Memorandum of Understanding signed by USAID and the Lagos State Government, the first step towards enhancing urban water service delivery in Lagos State. Additionally, the Feed the Future Water for Agriculture activity, supported by USAID, has increased access to water for almost 55,000 farmers and herders in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe States and resulted in over 1,600 farmers adopting improved agriculture production practices. Nigeria’s agriculture sector is critical to the country’s economic development and access to food.

The Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, who was the keynote speaker, who emphasised on the importance of water to human existence, said without water, there will be no food. He called on the need for all the stakeholders to prioritise water policy and planning, especially in the agric sector.

The Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by an Assistant Director, Makanju Olajumoke, advised food handlers to follow the rules of good hygiene and food safety at every stage of food handling, to make sure that food is safe.

While commending the organisers of the event for the initiative and visionary steps to enhance sharing of ideas, information and capacity building, she urged the government, the industry, the regulators and the general public to play their respective roles to ensure reduction or total elimination of unsafe food within the food system.

The representative of the Director General/Chief Executive of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, said understanding the significance of increased food production to food security, food professionals, through technology, must not relent in their efforts to proffer solutions to the challenge of food security in the country.

He said, however, favourable policies and the political will to create an enabling environment are needed to make technological efforts achievable.