A move has been made by stakeholders in the agricultural and nutrition sector towards boosting nutritional food security in the country.
Reports say this is through the establishment of a multi-stakeholder gender-sensitive platform for advocacy.
According to the founder Women Farmers Advanced Network (WOFAN) and Lead consultant on UNDP-GEF food security project,Hajia Salamatu Garba on Friday,the platform became vital to foster food security and enhance sustainability resilience of food production systems in Nigeria.
She noted that the project is supported by the United Nation Development Programme(UNDP) and Global Environmental Facility(GEF) in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) to implement a 5-year project.
Garba said there was a need to come together as stakeholders in the agriculture sector to see how to enhance policy and institutional enabling environment to achieve improved food security in a resilient and value chain driven manner.
She however appealed to the members of the group to put the interest of the group in their hearts and work to ensure that the aim of the project succeeds.
“Most project dies after 1-2 years because people make money their priority and not the interest of the project
“Let us not be sentimental, we should see the project as our own people, let us commit ourselves to see that this project work.”
In her remarks,the Project Manager Resilient Food Security Project ,Ms Rhoda Dia said that the goal of the project is to enhance the long term sustainability and resistance of food production systems in Nigeria.
Dia said there was a need to enhance the policy and institutional environment for achieving improved food security in a sustainable resilient and value chain driven
There is a need to reduce gender disparities in agricultural production which affect overall sector performance
According to her, the multi-stakeholder gender-sensitive platform is to advocate for sustainable agricultural and improved food and nutrition security
”The platform will enable consistent advocate for a fairer deal for small scale farmers for improvements in decision making on food production processing utilization and marketing.
Mr Oladipo Osibo who is the UNDP Nigeria Climate Change Unit Representative said women must play a dominant role in nutritional food development and wealth generation.
He however commended them for availing themselves the opportunity to serve and ensure that Nigeria addressed the issue of food insecurity and poverty.
The Chairman Rice Millers Association of Nigeria (RIMAN) Mr Peter Dana also commended the UNDP GEF project and WOFAN for bringing together different stakeholders in the agriculture sector to foster sustainable food security.
He was of the view that there was a need for stakeholders in agriculture to stand up to their duty and see how women can be empowered to improve food production, processing and marketing.
