NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
Environment

Water, sanitation, food security critical to national development –FG

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By Isaiah Eka

Mr Richard Pheelangwah, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, has stated that water, sanitation, and food security are essential to Nigeria’s development.

Pheelangwah made this remark at the 31st regular meeting of the National Council on Water Resources and Sanitation (NCWR&S) in Uyo on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the meeting is “Water and Food Security: Challenges and Opportunities in the Face of Daunting Climate Change”.

The permanent secretary, who also serves as the Council’s Chairman, noted that water, sanitation, and food security have a direct impact on public health, economic productivity, and environmental sustainability.

He urged the National Technical Committee, which is holding a five-day session, to identify challenges and propose solutions through the memoranda to be presented.

“The theme of this year’s Council meeting was carefully chosen to reflect the critical importance of water, food security, and the negative impacts of climate change on our people.

“This theme is timely, as it could not have come at a better moment.

“It is important that we continue to meet because what we know today may not hold tomorrow.

“Life keeps evolving, and we must evolve with it; otherwise, what we considered relevant yesterday becomes obsolete today,” he said.

He further noted that President Bola Tinubu’s recent declaration of a state of emergency on food security necessitates action from relevant ministries and authorities to ensure adequate irrigation and year-round farmland cultivation for food production.

The permanent secretary also commended the Akwa Ibom State Government and development partners for their unwavering support of the ministry’s efforts.

In her remarks, Mrs Emah Udonsek, Permanent Secretary of the Akwa Ibom Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, emphasised that water and food security are fundamental to human survival, economic development, and environmental sustainability.

She noted the timeliness of the theme, noting its focus on sustainable water resource management and food security for Nigerians.

“The theme also underscores the urgent need for action, innovative solutions, and collaborative efforts to address the challenges posed by climate change,” she said.

Udonsek added that the future of food security and water availability is closely tied to the nation’s ability to adapt to climate change.

NAN reports that development partners and key stakeholders delivered goodwill messages during the opening session of the technical meeting. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Tosin Kolade

Agriculture , Food Security

University of Plymouth, NWRI partner to advance climate-smart agriculture

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By Tosin Kolade

The University of Plymouth in the UK and the National Water Resources Institute (NWRI) in Kaduna, have announced a new partnership to advance research on Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) in Nigeria and Ghana.

The announcement was made at the Soil Health for Productivity and Climate Resilience Workshop in Abuja on Thursday.

Prof. William Blake, the Director of the Sustainable Earth Institute at the University of Plymouth, stressed the importance of international collaboration toward tackling global challenges such as food security and climate change.

He said “this partnership underscores the growing importance of cross-border cooperation to address critical issues like sustainable land management and water resources.

“By focusing on Climate-Smart Agriculture, we aim to boost agricultural productivity, while adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change.”

According to him, the workshop focuses on strategies to improve soil health and adopt sustainable water management practices to boost agricultural productivity and enhance climate resilience.

Blake also stressed the importance of research that supports CSA at both small and large scales, from farm to river basin, ensuring sustainability across different levels.

He added that “this collaboration is particularly important for West Africa, where shared climate challenges demand locally-adaptable solutions.

“Our goal is to develop solutions that address food security while also building resilience to climate change.”

Prof. Kevin Jones, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the Plymouth University, emphasised the institution’s long-standing commitment to addressing global challenges through practical research.

Jones noted the university’s focus on environmental sustainability, particularly in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and its ongoing work in marine and maritime sectors.

He also emphasised the importance of scientific and technological advances in ensuring sustainable agriculture for the future.

This, he said, include focusing on soil health, ensuring productive crops and knowledge sharing to tackle environmental issues globally.

Jones also identified Nigeria as key partner in these efforts, pointing out the potential for UK-Nigeria collaboration to produce innovative solutions with global applications.

He said “global partnerships are crucial for the future. The challenges we face today are global in nature, and we need to bring together the best expertise from around the world to ensure the planet’s future is in good hands.”

Dr Omogbemi Yaya, the Director of the Regional Centre for Integrated River Basin Management at NWRI, explained that the partnership is supported by the UNESCO-affiliated Regional Centre for Integrated Rural Business Management.

He said the collaboration would focus on shared priorities, including rural business management, capacity building and sustainable development, with emphasis on research and teaching.

He added that “this strategic partnership between NWRI and the University of Plymouth will leverage the strength of both institutions in water resources and academic research.

“Our goal is to collaborate on research that addresses key challenges faced by rural communities.

“The partnership reflects the institute’s commitment to global collaborations and supports the university’s mission to influence sustainable development.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop brought together researchers, policymakers and practitioners to discuss strategies toward
tackling food security and climate resilience in West Africa.

The partnership is funded with £30,000 under the Innovate UK Scoping Project for Climate-Smart Agriculture Partnerships: UK-Brazil-Africa.

The National Water Resources Institute, a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, was established in 1979.

It is tasked with training and retraining water engineers, technologists and technicians in the water resources sector. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)


Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

Agriculture , Food Security

Agric show: Stakeholders task FG on food security by 2025

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By Felicia Imohimi

Agricultural stakeholders in Nigeria have stated that achieving food security by 2025 will only be possible if farmers’ security is guaranteed.

Speaking at the ongoing 16th National Agricultural Show (NAS) in Tudun Wada, Nasarawa, the stakeholders called on the government to address the various challenges hindering the sector’s progress.

The participants included the National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN), farmers’ associations, Agricultural Research Institutes, the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), and the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), among others.

The 2024 edition of the NAS, held at the National Agricultural Showground along the Abuja-Keffi Road, is themed ‘Incentivising Smallholder Farmers to Scale for the Attainment of Food Security’.

Key challenges highlighted included the high cost of inputs, lack of mechanisation, transportation costs, insecurity, policy implementation failures, and post-harvest losses.

Arch. Kabir Ibrahim, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NAFN and President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), identified insecurity as the greatest threat to food security, followed by climate change.

He called on the government to create an enabling environment for Smallholder Farmers (SHFs) to increase productivity, emphasising the importance of regional staple food production, improved storage systems, and the reduction of post-harvest losses.

“It is exceedingly difficult to achieve food security without identifying regional staple foods and scaling their production, processing, and distribution,” he said.

He also urged the adoption of science, technology, and innovation to transform the food system, describing it as crucial for overcoming the challenges facing the sector.

Ibrahim commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for declaring a state of emergency on food security, which he said had motivated SHFs to work towards food sufficiency.

He, however, stressed the need for further support, particularly in the absence of widespread mechanisation.

He also praised the government for signing a memorandum of understanding with Brazil to boost agribusiness, describing it as essential for improving SHFs’ productivity and attracting private sector investments.

“This initiative will generate agribusiness activities in all 774 local government areas, attracting $4.3 billion in private sector investment to agriculture. Such incentives are key to achieving food security,” Ibrahim added.

Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State called on the Federal Government to prioritise the National Agricultural Show by investing in infrastructure to enhance its annual exhibitions.

Represented by Abubakar Madaki, Chairman of Karu Local Government, Sule emphasised the need to showcase Nigeria’s vast agricultural resources effectively.

Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, stated that the government was implementing measures to address farmers’ challenges and improve the sector’s performance.

Mr Jafar Umar, Director General of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), highlighted the organisation’s commitment to reducing poverty, creating jobs, and supporting the growth of the agricultural economy.

He noted that NABG’s investments span the entire value chain, from inputs and equipment to export markets and consumer food manufacturing. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo

Metro

NSE signs MoU with 2 partners to boost food security

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By Angela Atabo

The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Asset Rise Limited and Lancaster Farms to enhance food security and create employment opportunities for Nigerians.

The NSE President, Mrs Margaret Oguntala, said shortly after signing the MoU on Wednesday in Abuja, that the agreement would open more employment opportunities for the youths.

Oguntala, who doubles as the Chairman-in-Council, said proffering solutions to agricultural challenges in Nigeria was at the forefront of NSE’s agenda.

She said that its 2024 annual conference was hinged on sustainable engineering solutions to food security and climate change.

According to her, partnerships are part of the strategic agenda of the society, adding that collaboration is the only way to deliver on some mandates.

“This partnership is a mutually beneficial relationship, which will not only enhance the activities of the NSE, but also improve businesses.

“On our part, we shall ensure that we do all that we can for all to benefit from this relationship.

“The partnership is all in the interest of developing Nigeria, particularly agriculture and of course, it is one of the reasons that we chose the theme of this year as Sustainable Engineering Solutions to Food Security and Climate Change.

“We are going into some special collaboration to ensure that the issue of food security is not just theoretical, but also very practical and we are taking it very seriously,” she said.

Oguntala expressed hope that the partnership would grow from strength to strength and eventually result in not just putting more food on the tables of Nigerians, but also creating jobs for the teaming young engineers.

Mr Oluwadurotimi  Ojamamoye, Group Managing Director, Asset Rise Limited, said the organisation had a structural programme designed to train  students who are graduating from schools into owning their own farms.

Ojamamoye said, “We are expanding that project into 1,000 hectares. So as students are graduating, they can cultivate one hectare each to empower them adding that so far more than 1,500 students have been empowered.

“We are glad that NSE is giving us the backbone to achieve this mission and employ more Nigerians, solve food insecurity and possibly stop our youths from migrating abroad because agriculture can create a lot of opportunities for us.”

“We have also been able to introduce our Smart City project, a 3,000 hectares project presently ongoing and we are currently planting more than 450,000 oil palm trees in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and Ondo states.

“We have developed more than 4,000 hectares of oil palm trees. This is sustainable agriculture and it is the way to go in order to solve the problems of poverty, food insecurity, unemployment and achieve rural urbanisation in Nigeria.”

Ojamamoye said that the organisation was working with the Enugu and Abia state governments where 7,000 and 10,000 hectares were provided respectively to develop agro-smart cities.

He called on governments at all levels to provide land for farming and creation of agro-smart cities just like they have government reserved areas for houses.

Also speaking, Dr Anthony Odigie, Chairman, Lancaster Farms, commended NSE for the opportunity to go into a strategic partnership with the organisation.

“This is a significant milestone to our company, and I believe that by joining forces we are combining our strengths, expertise, and resources to unlock great opportunities for the future.

“The collaboration will enhance our ability to deliver exceptional value to the agricultural industry and in the long term, to activate the economy of Nigeria.”

Mr Patrick Obidoyin, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Lancaster Farms, said the MoU would enable the organisation to empower more youths by taking them off the job markets.(NAN)

Edited by Francis Onyeukwu and Abiemwense Moru

Agriculture

FG, partners begin Cadre Harmonisé analysis to combat food insecurity

553 total views today

By Talatu Maiwada

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in partnership with technical experts have commenced a state-level Cadre Harmonisé (CH) analysis to identify areas facing food and nutrition insecurity.

The CH is a unified tool used to provide rigorous and transparent analysis of current and projected food and nutrition security situations.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the six-day CH workshop in Yola includes analysts from Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, and Bauchi states.

Dr Dishi Khobe, Special Adviser to the Adamawa State Governor on Food Security, noted the importance of the exercise in obtaining reliable data to identify areas affected by severe poverty, food shortages and malnutrition.

“The main goal is to combat food insecurity, the poor are getting poorer due to the rising cost of living and we lack reliable data to support our people effectively.

“We have followed the CH exercise for a long time and observed that the trends are accurate and factual, it has shown hotspots on the map for immediate intervention.

“The state government is making efforts to improve and take ownership of the project so that when the supporting partners withdraw, we can fully take over without leaving any gaps,” he said.

Mr Bulama Dauda, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said the exercise aims to consolidate evidence on food and nutrition security at the state level.

“The CH involves analysing the food and nutrition situation for specific areas, such as Local Government Areas, states, and the country as a whole, it is essential for shaping effective response plans.

“The results are used globally, particularly in West Africa and the Sahel countries, to guide responses to food and nutrition crises, support decision-making, planning, implementation, and budgeting for interventions,” Dauda added.

Dr Ibrahim Bayaso, Adamawa State CH Coordinator, noted that the analysis helps governments and humanitarian partners to prioritise areas for response.

“When food insecurity and nutrition challenges arise, it is crucial to identify the areas that need immediate intervention.

“The CH process identifies five phases: minimal, under pressure stress, crisis, emergency, and famine, which guide governments and donor partners in determining the areas that require urgent assistance”, he said.

Mr Jasper Mwesigwa, Food Security Analyst, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), noted that Nigeria was experiencing prolonged period of economic hardship and high inflation rates since 2023.

This, he added puts pressure on families and communities.

He noted that the country also faced the impact of climate change, including severe flooding and droughts, along with conflicts that have displaced populations, creating compounded vulnerabilities.

“The CH process provides timely and credible data to guide humanitarian actors and government agencies in targeting their responses to the most vulnerable populations”.

NAN reports that the CH state-level analysis is being conducted across 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The partners include FAO, the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), Action Against Hunger, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, UNICEF, among others. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Tosin Kolade

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