FG, UK To Address Environmental Challenges Hindering Food Production

The Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), Aliyu Abdullahi has declared the Ministry’s readiness to partner with Propcom to increase productivity and improve nutrition and food security.

Propcom is an eight-year programme, founded by the UK Government through her Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to support climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture and forestry that benefit people, climate and nature.

In a statement signed by the Principal Information Officer FMAFS Ezekwesiri Chika on Sunday, the ministry lauded its commitment when a team from Propcom on Public Private Partnership for Animal Health Services in Nigeria led by Deputy British High Commissioner, Gill Lever, visited Abuja.

Abdullahi said the programme was aimed at transforming Nigeria’s rural economy by addressing environmental, social and economic challenges in the nation’s food and land system.

In his words, “We have a big task to revive the food system, and we are ready to have you as a partner to achieve the high priority placed on food security by Mr President because agriculture is the key and animal health is very important. “

Abdullahi admitted that the vast nature of agriculture is no doubt a multi-sector and needs more people to work together, adding “we require more land, partnership, collaboration which is the key to achieve our aim in productivity, nutrition and food Security in Nigeria”.

He also urged propcom to look into pest control, stating that recently, the country had a serious attack on ginger, which affected its productivity.

According to him, “to have a healthy nation, you must have a healthy people”.

Abdullahi added that Mechanization is a major way to help in productivity if it’s made available, pointing out that “We are in partnership with John Deere and Greener Hope to achieve the desired aim of Mr President on food security”.

Earlier, in her remarks, Lever, said that Nigeria has been in a good relationship with the UK for years now and that Propcom was a programme aimed at supporting resilience and sustainable agriculture and forestry that benefit people, climate and nature, provide support to different business modules, scale up access to animals and support innovations.

“We have been working with the Veterinary Department. We have been in rice production in the North. Propcom programme is a very versatile one”, she added.