… Calls on FG to commit $451m for food security
…$144m for nutrition interventions
…$59m for livelihood
By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
As Nigeria commemorates the 2022 World Food Day, WFD, today the Civil Society for Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria, CS SUNN, has identified Nigeria as a hunger hotspot Nation among seven other countries in the world.
Chairman of CS SUNN International, Ekene Innocent Ifedilichukwu disclosed this today at a press briefing and Media Parley organized together with Food Basket Foundation International, FBFI to mark the WFD in Abuja.
The theme of the 2022 WFD is, ” Leave No One Behind: Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life”.
Ifedilichukwu said that early warning issued by FAO- WFP on acute food security states that Nigeria including Afghanistan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somali and Yemen remain the highest alert as hunger hotspot which accounts for almost one million people facing catastrophic levels of hunger with starvation and death.
The CS SUNN Chief Executive stated that Nigeria is currently experiencing high levels of food insecurity, with 19.5 million people in crisis between June and August, 2022.
According to him, 3.2 billion people, which is about 40 percent of the world’s population, cannot afford a healthy diet which puts them at a high risk of food insecurity and malnutrition.
Speaking on the causes of food insecurity and malnutrition in Nigeria, he noted that challenges such as increase in food prices due to bottlenecks in supply chains, soaring transport costs, other disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts war in Ukraine and the growing intensity of climate extremes as some issues form the underlining imbalance.
He used the WFD to call for joint efforts by stakeholders to build a Sustainable Nigeria where everyone, everywhere, has regular access to enough nutritious food.
“Due to Farmer’s struggle to offset the year’s higher input costs of planting and livestock production , the country stands the risk of shrinking production by farmers who have fewer financial resources to compensate the rising input prices.”
Agri-food systems transformation is critical if we want to honor the pledge to leave no one behind and deliver Betty production, better nutrition, better environment and a better life for all, Ifedilichukwu said.
Meanwhile, the Nutrition Agency has called on the Nigerian Government to commit and release $451 million for food security, $144 million for nutrition interventions and $59 million for livelihood.
“We further call for the scale up of acute malnutrition prevention and treatment programs in the areas of Nutrition, food e and WASH in the country by government and health partners.”
CS SUNN and FBFI urged the private sector to be in tune with the national food safety regulations and measures to protect food and reinforce good hygiene and food safety practices along food chains , particularly in rural Communities.
Chief Executive Officer, Food Basket Foundation International, FBFI, Dr. Funmi Akinyele speaking on Leaving no one behind said that food and nutrition security involves ensuring better nutrition from cradle through to life to adulthood by exclusive breastfeeding, infant and young child feeding, adolescent nutrition , nutrition education, home and community gardens( fruits and vegetables cultivation) , eating of five Star meals.
Micronutrient supplementation and nutrition through life cycle for healthy life and disease prevention, she emphazied.
Akinyele urged government to provide constant funding for agricultural and nutrition interventions and implementation, natural agricultural , food systems and nutrition policies and plans amongst others to ensure that no Nigerian is left behind.
Director of Nutrition, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, FMARD, Dr. Rasaq Oyeleke said that 7 million Nigerians suffer acute hunger, adding that food security is when all people at all times have physical, economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food and other dietary needs of food preferences.
Dr. Oyeleke who was represented by Mr . Adanlawao Julius, Assistant Chief Agric Officer speaking on the Burden of Hunger and Food Insecurity in Nigeria disclosed that Nigeria has 35 million children under the age of 5 out of which 14 million are stunted and 3 million are Wasted, due to food insecurity in the country.
Quoting UNICEF, Oyeleke stated that 14.5 million Nigerians suffer acute food insecurity emerging from climate change which causes flooding and impacts on food systems.
Other factors mitigating on food security the Agric expert noted includes rise in Insecurity, with displaced farming communities, kidnapping of farmers for ransom while others are killed on their farmland, making farmers to abandon their farm and to fled their communities.
He called on government to prioritise intensification of dry season farming for improved food basket of the nation in addition to more investment on Nutrition sensitization of bio- fortification of staple crops , empowerment of vulnerable households to improve access to micronutrients, food safety and nutrition education for the nation’s food system.
Representative of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Director of Nutrition, Mrs.Christiana Oroki, said that this year’s theme of Leaving no one behind is apt in view of the global hunger crisis resulting from COVID-19 pandemic and natural and man- made causes.
She explained that the ministry is providing interventions aimed at enhancing the quality of life of women especially the vulnerable , adolescent girls and children through provision of income generating activities, nutrition education, awareness and sensitization aimed at addressing gender based issues that affects negatively the well-being of the groups.
All stakeholders urged the media to continue to shine the spotlight on the problem of hunger and malnutrition in the country, to hold governments accountable for their actions and to set agenda for policy makers to take necessary measures to address the challenge of food insecurity in the country.
