By Samuel
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians of the government’s resolve towards attaining food security and ensuring that the country becomes hunger-free.
According to Buhari, his administration has initiated measures to increase food production and stabilise food prices in the country.
The president made this known at the launch of the Outgrow Hunger, Nigeria, an initiative of a non-governmental organisation, Agricultural Agenda Nigeria Initiative (AANI).
Founded by Mr. Ephraim Odemwingie, the initiative was launched last Friday on the occasion of the 2020 World Food Day observed annually every October 16th.
The 75th in the series of the event was themed “Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together. Our actions are our future”, to highlight the essence of a stronger food system as an active response to the novel COVID-19 pandemic.
In Buhari’s remarks, food security remains a focus for his administration, as the government was persistent in its efforts to transform the food sector.
The newly launched initiative, he said, complements the government’s policies, programmes and efforts on food security.
He, however, restated that his administration would not allow its citizens to go hungry, especially with the bountiful agricultural resources Nigeria possesses.
The president said: ”We are all familiar with the many factors that have constrained efforts to ensure self-sufficiency in food production in the country, leading to the present situation of fluctuating prices of foodstuffs.
”Despite the best efforts that have been made, the challenges persist. But so have we, as a government, persisted in finding solutions, guided by the strong belief that, with the natural and human resources our country is endowed with, starvation is inexcusable.
”As the saying goes, a hungry person is an angry person. No country can afford a population of hungry people,” he said.
Against this backdrop, President Buhari called on all relevant government agencies to explore opportunities, from the perspectives of their different mandates, to support the campaign.
”Together, we must outgrow hunger in Nigeria. It is in our common interest to do so,” he charged.
