Food insecurity: FG mobilises $500m to tackle hunger — Shettima

The Federal Government has mobilized half a billion dollars for innovative, profitable, equitable, and sustainable food systems transformation initiatives in Nigeria.

This was disclosed by the Vice-President, Sen. Kashim Shettima, while chairing a high-level meeting on the first day of the United Nations (UN) Food Systems Summit declared open in Rome, Italy, by the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.

He further disclosed that the funds would be used for Innovation finance for food system transformation; development of Nigeria’s agro value chain and Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones programmes.

He said: “In this event, the Government of Nigeria will be showcasing its Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) as a unique example of a successful partnership between producers, the public sector and private operators.

“The VCDP which is co-funded by the of Nigeria and IFAD has empowered vulnerable farmers and youth to engage into commercial partnerships with some of the biggest food processing and marketing firms in the world such as OLAM, a world leading agri-business company operating in over 60 countries with an annual revenue of about $39.8 billion.

“Building on the success of the VCDP, the federal government is determined to capacitate Nigeria’s rural smallholders and operators, youth and women living below the poverty line to take advantage of the new Special Processing Zones.”

While featuring in the panel discussion with the Prime Minister of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud; Deputy President of Kenya, Rigathi Gachagua; and Prime Minister of Niger Republic, Ouhoudou Mahamadou, Shettima said President Tinubu “is determined to transform the concept and meaning of modern governance by demonstrating commitment towards the food system in the country.”

Persecondnews reported on Monday that the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, had lamented the high rate of people suffering from chronic hunger amid growing food insecurity around the world.

The UN chief spoke at the opening the United Nations’ three-day food summit in Rome, Italy’s capital, on Monday, aimed at tackling a “broken” global food system where millions are starving, billions are obese and the planet is suffering.

He said: “In a world of plenty, it is outrageous that people continue to suffer and die from hunger.

“Global food systems are broken, and billions of people are paying the price.

“More than 780 million people go hungry around the globe, even as nearly one-third of the world’s food is wasted or lost. And while 462 million people are underweight, two billion are overweight or obese.

“Today I urged the participants of the UN Food Systems Summit to accelerate action to ensure that every person has access to the safe and nutritious food they need and deserve.”

Guterres called for at least $500 billion per year to help needy countries scale up long-term financing to invest in higher-performing food systems.