From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), National Economic Summit Group (NESG), E-Health Africa, and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), through a Third-Party Advocacy Campaign (TPAC), have said poverty, food insecurity, malnutrition, and diseases are massive problems for Nigeria.
This was contained in a Communiqué issued after a two-day Retreat for relevant committees of Nassau with the theme “Retreat on Food Fortification, Workforce Nutrition, and Food Systems Transformation”.
The Communiqué was signed by Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)Executive Director of CISLAC/TI-Nigeria. Dr Tayo Aduloju CEO, of Nigerian Economic Summit Group Dr Micheal Ojo Country Director of GAIN, Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, Health System Consultant Senator Samaila Kaila Dahuwa.
Vice Chairman Senate Committee on Health and Honourable Regina AkumeChairman House on NAFDAC.
The Communiqué stated that the Challenges with food systems are major causes of these problems, but these challenges also create major opportunities for improving food systems.
The multi-dimensional insecurity challenges caused by activities of armed groups continue to wreak havoc on the quantity and quality of food production and distribution while hampering workforce efficiency and productivity in various parts of the country.
“High loss of foods after harvest, due to poor storage and processing, hinders food security. Soaring food prices have plunged many households into crushing hunger and starvation, exacerbating the country’s already pervasive food insecurity.
“The Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning has published a multisectoral “National Pathways to Food Systems Transformation” document that outlines the roles of various MDAs in transforming food systems.
“The Pathways document is an outcome of many dialogues across the country as part of the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit. However, knowledge about the Pathways is limited.”
