By Adebisi Adeyemi, Lagos
The FAO country representative in Nigeria, Suffyan Koroma has said that the global food organisation; has targeted 117,000 households to restore “livelihoods and incomes” during this year’s dry-season farming activities in the Northeast. Koroma disclosed this on Friday in his goodwill message to participants of the third Nigeria Zero Hunger Forum (ZEHF) in Maiduguri. The forum is committed to end “hunger and malnutrition” in the country by the year 2025. He said FAO’s intervention in Borno state, which has been affected by insurgency, is to target 4,000 farming families to receive fertilizers, vegetables and rice seeds. He said the intervention was to eradicate hunger and malnutrition, strengthen resilience building. His words: “The targeted 117, 000 farming families in the insurgency affects states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states are to improve and restore their livelihoods and incomes. “Furthermore, the success of zero hunger forum has led the FAO Director General of the report that His Excellency, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo uses his influence to replicate similar forum in other African countries to facilitate achievements of zero hunger.” He said this will also facilitate “experience sharing” among the African countries. The global food organisation strongly believes that it is possible to achieve zero hunger in Africa by 2025. On how to end hunger and malnutrition, Koroma said: “We just have to work hard by fully implementing the zero hunger programme across African countries. Obasanjo, who is the Chairman of Zero Hunger Programme, also said that the forum was aimed at accelerating food production, empowering youths and women. “The Zero Hunger; 2025, is to fast track improvements of social and economic wellbeing of our people in Nigerian and other African countries,” said Obasanjo. He disclosed that the zero hunger programmes are part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) programme, which should be pursued with much vigour and seriousness. Poverty, according to him, was the root cause of Boko Haram insurgency in Borno state. He disclosed that; “Only one out of the 26 Boko Haram insurgents interviewed submitted that he joined the sect because of Islam.” He noted that the remaining 25 insurgents joined Islamists sect due to poverty and idleness that breed the devil’s workshop. The former President also applauded Governor Shettima’s Agricultural Transformation Programme (TAP). Dr Kenton Dasheil, The Deputy Director, Partnership for Delivery, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr. Kenton Dasheil said the institute would support the programmes to achieve Sustainable Agricultural Development (SAD) in the country. The Maiduguri three-day zero hunger forum; was attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Audu Ogbe, who was represented by Obinna Okpara, a Director. Others that participated at the forum include the Country Directors of World Food Programme (WFP), Myrata Kaulard and deputy governors of Ogun and Ebonyi states, Yetunde Onanuga and Kelechi Igwe.
