Zero hunger by 2030: Five governors endorse peer advisory mechanism

Five state governors in Nigeria have endorsed a peer advisory mechanism that will enable them to monitor the implementation of their respective agricultural plans with a view to ending hunger by 2030. The states are Benue, Borno, Ebonyi, Ogun and Sokoto.


The peer advisory mechanism, brainchild of the Nigeria Zero Hunger Forum (NZHF), has the objective of reviewing, monitoring and advising states in Nigeria on the ways and means by which they can achieve zero hunger by 2030 using available resources.

According to a communique issued at the end of the maiden edition of the NZHF in Makurdi recently, members of the NZHF which cut across the private sector, government and development partners agreed to hold advisory meetings every quarter across the states.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Goodwill Ambassador and Chairman of NZHF is optimistic that more states will join the peer advisory mechanism in due course.

Dr Kenton Dashiell, IITA Deputy Director General for Partnerships for Delivery, who also manages the secretariat of the NZHF at IITA, explained that the peer advisory mechanism of the NZHF would encourage states to keep focus to the commitment they made towards agriculture so they could by themselves achieve their set targets.

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State described the NZHF initiative as a tool that would accelerate the agricultural development of states through peer learning. “Again from the NZHF meeting, we have been given advice on how to handle certain areas and in some cases the former president personally made contacts through the phone on our behalf to persons who have the answers.”

The meeting also had in attendance Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, Deputy Governor of Borno State and representatives of the governors of Ogun and Sokoto states, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), African Development Bank (AfDB), World Food Programme (WFP), farmer groups, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and Nigeria Army School of Military Engineering (NASME).

The NZHF is supported by IITA, AfDB, WFP and the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Agric forum to encourage greater technology use by women

Image
Organizers of a one-day agricultural forum for women in Benin, the Edo State capital, have said the event will focus on increasing the awareness of available agricultural and outreach technologies for women in agriculture. The forum which will be anchored by Market Development Programme in the Niger Delta (MADE) with funding from UK Aid, is collaborating with Markets II, funded by USAID and Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta, PIND and the Edo State Cooperative Farmers’ Agency is being held for womenas part of activities to mark this year’s International Women’s Day. Mr. Fidelis Ekom, MADE’s Communications and Advocacy Manager, in a statement at the weekend said the forum also seeks to facilitate mindset change for women in the adoption of modern technologies and to facilitate engagement between women in agriculture and relevant value chain actors. Ekom said the forum will bring together women farmers in aquaculture, cassava, palm oil, poultry, hon
Read more

7 FEPSAN members to produce 1m tonnes under Presidential Fertiliser Initiative

Image
Seven active blending companies within the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) have been revived and are among the 1st of five batches that would produce 1 million tonnes of fertiliser under the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative, Thomas Etuh, President of FEPSAN has said. Etuh who disclosed this while speaking on Presidential Fertiliser Initiative noted that most of the plants owned by FEPSAN members are being revived after being dormant for over a decade. He expressed the hope that more plants would join the initiative before the end of April “Some of the blending plants which have already been supplied with raw materials including phosphate from Morocco and are blending include Fertiliser and Chemicals Ltd, Kaduna, producing 300,000 metric tonnes; Al-Yuma Fertilizer Company (300,000 metric tonnes) in Madobi-Kano; Kano Agricultural Supply Company, supplying 15 trailers daily and Golden Fertiliser based in Lagos. “Others blending plants ha
Read more

Over 100 exhibitors from 18 countries register for agrofood Nigeria 2017

Image
Fairtrade, the German trade fair specialist organisation, has said more than 100 exhibitors from 18 countries have confirmed their participation at the agrofood Nigeria, making it a record participation. The event which will take place from 28 to 30 March 2017 at the Landmark Centre in Lagos has attracted exhibitors from Austria, Benin, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, South Africa, Taiwan, Togo, Turkey and the United Kingdom. agrofood Nigeria consists of the following exhibition topics: Agriculture, Process & Packaging, Food Ingredients, Food & Drinks and Foodservice Equipment. “For the third year, the French agrofood association adepta leads a delegation of French companies to agrofood Nigeria”, said Aude Roelly, Area Sales Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, adepta. “From farm to fork, companies specialized into equipment and know-how for agriculture, livestock, food processing and packaging offer their
Read more