Ganduje: There’s hope Nigeria will be free from hunger, malnutrition

Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of Kano, says there is hope Nigerians will have a country devoid of hunger and malnutrition.

Ganduje spoke on Monday, in Kano at the zonal consultation workshop on the development of an implementation strategy for food systems transformation pathways.

The governor, represented by Usman Alhaji, secretary to the Kano government, said the implementation strategy would enable the country to achieve food security.

“It gives me hope that one day we will have a country devoid of hunger and malnutrition,” the governor said.

“This implementation pathways consultative workshop will lead the country towards a sustainable national food system, improve food security, and reduce hunger and prevalence of malnutrition all in line with the national food and nutrition policy for Nigeria.”

Also speaking, Ernest Umakhihe, permanent secretary, federal ministry of agriculture and rural development, said good security is a vital element of survival.

Umakhihe who was represented by Sugra Mahmood, the ministry’s director of irrigation agriculture and crop development, said the food systems transformation agenda is not the programme of the federal government alone.

He said the program requires a collective effort from states, local government, development partners, the private sector, and citizens.

“The food system pathways aim to improve the productivity and sustainability of the food system while promoting health and nutrition, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and enhancing socio-economic development in Nigeria,” he said.

“It is therefore incumbent on all of us to work collaboratively to ensure adequate food and nutritional security.”

Yusuf Rurum, the commissioner for agriculture and natural resources, said the government was committed to improving food production and processing as well as ensuring markets were accessible for smallholder farmers in the state.

“The state government is determined to implement the priority actions and strategies of the national food systems transformation pathways toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in agriculture,” Rurum said.

He said the governor was also working to “improve value chain and market system development for improved productivity, livelihoods and poverty reduction”.

“The state government is promoting community warehousing through the construction of 11 commodity aggregation and three cottage processing centres across the state to boost and develop business alliances and off-takers arrangements among farmers,” the commissioner added.