Minister, others seek support for food intervention

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq and private sector actors have canvassed viable options to ensure adequate food supply for vulnerable persons in the country.

Farouq said the move would boost Federal Government’s efforts to cushion the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Nigerians, especially the increasing number of people at risk from hunger, inadequate access to health and educational facilities.

Speaking at a roundtable organised by State Craft Incorporated in Lagos, she restated the importance of reinventing approaches to solving new and older challenges in the wake of the pandemic.

She assured that the meeting would lead to a renewed vigour in the ongoing efforts to find better ways of collaboration to assist the vulnerable in society.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of State Craft, Adebola Williams, commended efforts of the public and private actors in the country’s fight against hunger. Williams was earlier commended on his role in mapping out COVID-19 food interventions in Nigeria through the Beating Corona Initiative.

Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nigeria, Mohammed Yahya, stressed the importance of collaboration and partnership in development.

He noted that public private partnership (PPP) had been instrumental to projects the UNDP had successfully executed in Nigeria.

Also, an artiste, Bankole Wellington, who was present at the roundtable, pointed out that it was important to identify community leaders during intervention programmes in the society, adding that it was his desire to have a food bank in each community.