A staggering 31.8 million Nigerians are grappling with acute food insecurity, compounded by malnutrition among women and children, according to the 2024 Cadre Harmonisé report.
The report highlights the severe impact of rising food commodity prices, driven by the removal of fuel subsidies and ongoing security challenges, leaving millions in a vulnerable position.
Development partners, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), GAIN, GIZ, and Agsys, revealed these alarming statistics at the Joint Review Meeting on Food Systems Implementation in Nigeria, held from August 26th to 27th, 2024.
The stakeholders stressed the urgent need for a multi-sectoral approach to tackle food security, advocating for collaboration that involves civil society organizations and the private sector to expand the reach of nutrition efforts.
During the meeting, the partners reaffirmed their commitment to transforming Nigeria’s food system. Dr. Emeka Vitalis Obi, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, who opened the meeting, stressed the importance of discussing the implementation status and providing updates on the food transformation pathways in Nigeria.
He acknowledged the vital support from development partners like GIZ and underscored that their collective efforts would lead to innovative solutions to strengthen the country’s food systems.
Dr. Sanjo Faniran, National Convener of Food Systems in Nigeria and Director of Social Development at the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, also praised stakeholders for their dedication to advancing Nigeria’s food system.
He noted that the review meeting aimed to identify gaps, successes, challenges, and offer recommendations, as well as conduct peer reviews among the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
The technical session featured presentations on various topics, including the Overview of Food Systems Transformation Implementation Strategy by Dr. Faniran, Enhancing Multi-Sectoral Collaboration for Food Systems Transformation by Prof. Kola Anigo, Financing and Resource Mobilization for Food Systems Transformation by FAO, and Youth Engagement in Food Systems by Mr. Azeez Salawu. A total of 24 MDAs participated in the review meeting.
