Nigeria’ll continue to invest in food security, Buhari pledges at the UN

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, pledged that Nigeria will continue to invest massively in food security as a way to enhance agricultural productivity in the country.

The President made the promise while speaking at the Food Systems Summit as part of the High-Level meetings of the ongoing 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Buhari said that national food security, nutrition knowledge dissemination, skills’ development, and information management systems is paramount to his administration.

He revealed in a statement issued by Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, titled, ‘At UN summit on food systems, President Buhari restates commitment to national food security,’ said Nigeria had developed a “food system focused development agenda that prioritizes healthy diets and affordable nutrition, inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable, which will contribute to rebuilding our economy, creating jobs and spurring growth across sectors while sustaining our ecosystems.”

He added that the plan was the outcome of a wide range of stakeholder-engagement geared towards a better understanding of their food systems, experiences and needs.

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“Following the recommendations from the dialogues and our plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within a decade, Nigeria is committed to investing in food security and nutrition knowledge dissemination, skills’ development, and information management systems to enhance agricultural productivity.

“It is also aimed at building sustainable, responsive, and inclusive food systems.

“It will enhance the productivity of smallholder farmers and empowering women and youths for greater access to food production, while strengthening climate mitigation strategies and conflict early warning systems that will reduce the many stresses and shocks to our food systems.”

The President added: “To transform our food systems and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, we hope to learn from, and collaborate with member states that have grappled or are grappling with food systems concerns similar to ours.

“We especially support the emerging coalitions of actions and sustainable food systems.”