Driven by the mission to support Nigeria in her quest to ensure food security for Nigerians, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has provided farm inputs to 26,750 farmers for the 2024 raining season farming to provide security in the trouble Borno State.
The UN Agency noted that Zero Hunger as indicated by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was responsible for its intervention on agriculture and food security through procurement and distribution of nutrient dense vegetables, cereals, and legume quality seeds and NPK fertilisers.
Dominique Koffy Kouacou, FAO’s Interim Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS Region, made the statement on Monday during the launch of the 2024 raining season inputs distribution in North-East at Du Usman in Jere Local Government Area Borno State.
He stated that the distribution targeted vulnerable farmers to boast their self-reliant and ensure viable and sustainable food security in the State.
“FAO is supporting 26,750 vulnerable households, including returning IDPS and their host communities with productive agriculture assets to rebuild their lives and livelihoods. The 2024 intervention in Borno State will benefit 9,975 households across Seven Local Government Areas in the State.
“The support by FAO will help households mitigate the escalating food insecurity while at the same time build resilience of the returnees in the settled communities.
“It is our expectation that these interventions will improve food production and income generation and build resilience among conflict-affected returnee households”, he said.
Usman Kadafur, Deputy and Acting Governor of Borno State, said the State indeed aware of the strategic role being played by the Food and Agricultural Organization, particularly in assisting victims of the insurgency and in collective efforts to bring about viable and sustainable peace and security in the State.
“The distribution of these crop production inputs will therefore encourage our farmers to be more determined in engaging in farming activities and towards having a reliable and dependable means of livelihood”, he noted.
Khadafur solicited the cooperation of international organisations, especially our international partners and non-governmental bodies in our determined efforts to address the multifarious challenges of development confronting the state, with a view to improving the well-being and livelihood of our people.
This is part of the UN Agency’s fight against poverty and hunger in the State due to the over a decade Boko Haram crisis this year, with the funding support from four financing partners including the Governments of Norway, United States of America, Switzerland, and the European Commission.
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