Permanent Secretary Budget and National Planning Engr. Nebeolisa Anako has reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government through the Local Government Areas (LGAS) to Promote Operation Feed Yourself by helping households to access information and inputs that will encourage them to produce food around their houses to feed their families.
The Permanent Secretary who was represented by Dr Mrs Gloria Ahmed, a Director in the Ministry stated this during the weekend at a Retreat of Zonal Permanent Secretaries, Directors, and Management Staff of the Budget and National Planning Arms of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning on the implementation of the Food Systems Transformation Pathways in Nigeria held at Uzanu Farm Etsako East LGA, Edo State.
He informed that Federal Government through NiMet and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), regularly collects and disseminates information through radio and other platforms about weather patterns and soil properties and best practices for crops, livestock, aquaculture, and poultry production, urging that information should be disseminated on time to informing food production decisions for each rainy and dry season.
Speaking further the Permanent Secretary stated that the States establish farm settlements/estates made up of groups of smallholder producers, including women and youths, who use estates to increase input supply, machinery hire, extension, and other services, and market access and farm settlement estates to include all basic amenities including the internet to discourage rural to urban migration.
He pointed out that the main objective of the retreat is to provide a platform for a coordinated approach in the implementation of food systems transformation pathways and to brainstorm on how the Country will have a successful outing at the upcoming Stock Taking Session (STS) in Rome, which is scheduled from 24th – 26th July 2023.
Anako noted that the Task Team has produced the 2023 Action Plan with 10 implementable activities within the pathways including the 2022 low-hanging fruits, the team is also working with the Technical Working Group (TWG) of stakeholder MDAs at the Federal level to develop a robust costed Implementation Strategy as well as Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for all the priority actions in the pathway, stressing that the Strategy document had also elicited inputs from all states to ensure inclusiveness before it is eventually completed.
He also stated that the 2023 Action Plan was produced to ensure continuity from 2022 programs and to be able to produce Country Report ahead of the global stocktaking coming up in Rome in July 2023, emphasized that “the implementation requires the commitment of all of us to sustain the commitment of Nigeria to the transformation of food systems in the spirit of achieving the National Development Plan 2021-2023; Nigeria Agenda 2050; African Union Agenda 2063 and UN Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030”.
In his goodwill remark, the immediate past Minister, Prince Clem Agba Ikanade, Chief host of the retreat pointed out that the “Food System is not just about the production of the food but has to do with the processing, transportation, and consumption of it. Pathway has to do with how well grow the system itself is to ensure that there is sustainability and our people eat nutritious food and healthy”.
Prince Clem stated further that “it is high time for Nigerian youth mentality to change because farming is considered as a vocation for the poor people, of which farmers are the richest in the World. The more we all engage in farming no matter how big or small even just in our garden goes a long way because we can never go wrong with food”.
In his presentation, the National Convener, Dr. Sanjo Faniran while justifying the need for food systems transformation in Nigeria stated that the national supply of nutrition food is not sufficient to meet the need of the people, and about 88% of children under 2 years of age with 44% of women are suffering from malnutrition.
Dr. Faniran stated that the Government will provide an enabling environment for the youths who are interested in farming, the women that are interested in the food systems, and the vulnerable groups, adding that in the farm estate, there is an integrated approach for a food system which include planting, logistics, and nutritious components, urging people in the urban areas to make the best use of their backyards for food production.
Olatunji Modupe Susan
Senior Information Officer
For: Director, Information (BNP)
