Vice President Kashim Shettima has identified education and skills development as panacea for addressing poverty and hunger in Nigeria.
He stated this Wednesday at a meeting with a delegation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation led by the President of its Global Growth & Opportunity Division, Rodger Voorhies, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja
Shettima underscored the impact of climate change on agricultural productivity and the urgent need to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices to ensure food security for Nigeria’s growing population.
He urged the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to forge a strategic partnership with the Nigerian government to enhance agricultural productivity, improve nutrition and strengthen the education sector.
The vice president also charged the Foundation to support President Bola Tinubu’s gender empowerment initiatives, noting that the programmes which are focused on the girl child are critical to Nigeria’s drive to alleviate poverty.
Shettima expressed his appreciation for the foundation’s significant contributions to Nigeria, particularly in the areas of polio eradication and primary healthcare delivery, stressing the need for the foundation’s continued support in the Nigerian agricultural sector
Mr Voorhies said he and his team were in the country to strengthen existing collaborations with Nigeria and also seek other areas of partnership with the new administration especially in priority sectors.
He commended the Tinubu administration’s agenda on food security and healthcare delivery while acknowledging the VP’s leadership and commitment to nutrition and agricultural transformation, assuring of the foundation’s commitment and readiness to support efforts aimed at achieving set goals and objectives.
Editor : Ena Agbanoma
