The United States and Nigerian government have entered into partnership to unveil a five-year Global Food Security Strategic Country Plan to boost the country’s agricultural productivity and drive agro-economic growth.
Speaking at the launching of the new five-year food security strategy for Nigeria, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullah, said President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda on food security is on course.
The Minister said, this year (2024), programmes on food production will be sustained to impact positively across the country.
He urged stakeholders in the agricultural sector to support the ministry so as to overcome challenges and ensure a successful intervention despite time constraints.
“Our strategy is to take care of current situation we find ourselves, stabilise the system and lay a solid foundation and to do that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture is lining up a number of programmes starting from this year to raining season,”Abdullah said.
Earlier in his remark, US Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires, David Greene, expressed US government’s commitment to resolve the pressing issue of food security in Nigeria.
He disclosed that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has invested almost $200 million in agriculture for the last five years to improve food security and build household in eleven states.
These include Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kebbi, Niger, and Yobe.
Greene, however, said for ideas to grow and drive economic development, the Nigerian government must create an enabling environment that supports private sector-led growth and entrepreneurship.
According to him, “the US government is committed to partnering with the Nigerian government and the private sector to ensure food security for all.”
