Vice President, Kashim Shettima has inaugurated the Presidential Food Systems Coordination Unit (PFSCU) as part of efforts by the administration of President Bola Tinubu to tackle hunger and hardship in Nigeria.
This followed a presentation by the Technical Assistant to the President on Agriculture, Office of the Vice President, Marion Moon.
Addressing members of the group comprising governors, cabinet ministers and representatives of development partners, Senator Shettima said the nation is facing a rare food security crisis and the sooner it comes to terms with the reality, the better.
Outlining the mandate of the PFSCU, the Vice President said the unit was not created to usurp the functions of the Ministry of Agriculture, noting that the urgency and seriousness of the matter at hand requires the ideas and resources of all stakeholders.
Shettima made reference to the Green Imperative Programme, a government-catalysed, private sector-driven, agricultural industrialization programme, as one initiative which the PFSCU must work assiduously to activate and operationalise
State governors in the committee outlined plans to modernise farming practices, increase crop yields, and transform Nigeria into a self-sufficient food producer.
Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State said his State is looking to feed the country, adding that his government must modernize agriculture to feed the population.
On his part, Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, emphasised the need for a coordinated approach, citing low productivity and population growth as a major challenge to the nation’s food security drive.
He called for investment in commercial agriculture, improved funding, and enhanced security for farmers.
Country Representative of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Dominique Koffy Kouacou, who spoke on behalf of a group of donors, pledged their commitment to the success of all the efforts by the Federal Government aimed at addressing food insecurity in the country.
He said the enthusiasm exhibited by the President and Vice President in addressing challenges in the agricultural sector is commendable and has reawakened the commitment of donors in the sector, assuring that they were fully on board with the government.
(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
