FG Assures On Food Security

By Sola Shittu, Gombe

The Federal Government on Saturday assured Nigerians of its commitment to sustainable food production, empowerment and overall growth of the economy even in the face of the biting effect of COVID-19 in the country.

Minister of State for Agriculture, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, who stated this in Gombe at the flag-off of inputs distribution to farmers as part of the mitigation measures against the effect of COVID-19 pandemic, said the ministry and its research institutions are working towards making Nigeria self-sufficient in good quality seeds as a foundation for attaining food and nutrition security.

“A number of countries have banned or drastically reduced food exports to avoid scarcity of food. With dwindling oil revenues and limited opportunities to import food, one would only wonder what Nigeria would have been experiencing today in terms of food supply, if this administration had not taken the right policy steps and remained focused and steadfast,” he said.

Shehuri said the restriction of movement of people, goods and services has negatively impacted on food supply chains, incomes and livelihood across the country, thereby making the smallholders the most vulnerable.

According to him, it becomes imperative for the government to support them with the much needed inputs, especially seeds, which are the most important factor that influences farmers’ yield in order to enable them to recover quickly from the setback of the pandemic.

– The Nation