*Ekiti Reaffirms Commitment to Regional Food Security*
The Ekiti Government has reaffirmed its commitment to initiatives aimed at boosting food sufficiency and strengthening food and nutrition crisis preparedness across the South-West region.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Ebenezer Babatope Ojo, gave the assurance at the opening of a one-day National Food and Nutrition Crisis Preparedness Plan South-West Zonal Consultation in Ado-Ekiti.
Ojo, represented by the Director of Veterinary Services, Dr Adedamola Fasoranti, said the government remained committed to strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts to promote food security and enhance the region’s capacity to respond to food and nutrition emergencies.
He said strengthening coordination among existing food and nutrition crisis preparedness and response structures had become imperative, particularly under initiatives being piloted by the Steering Committee of the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU), chaired by the Vice-President.
The permanent secretary stressed the need to deploy technology to map existing institutional systems and capacities, identify coordination gaps and develop a national framework for anticipating, preparing for and responding effectively to extraordinary food and nutrition crises.
In her presentation, the Executive Secretary of PFSCU, Ms Marion Moon, said the consultation was designed to identify major threats to food sufficiency, including flooding, post-harvest losses and insecurity, which continued to affect food production and distribution across the country.
Moon said the engagement would enable South-West states to showcase their existing preparedness and data management systems to improve coordination and information sharing among states and relevant national institutions.
She noted that food crises in one part of the country could have significant consequences for other regions, making a coordinated national response essential.
According to her, the initiative seeks to establish effective channels for linking existing systems, strengthening collaboration and promoting data sharing to provide a comprehensive national picture of emerging food and nutrition crises.
Stakeholders at the consultation, including the former Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Ebenezer Boluwade; the Ekiti Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr Sunday Adekogbon; and Mrs Justina, representing the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, called for practical measures to strengthen food security.
They stressed the need to identify genuine farmers to ensure that government interventions reached the intended beneficiaries.
The stakeholders also advocated improved monitoring of agricultural production through extension officers and the provision of adequate storage facilities to minimise post-harvest losses.
They further emphasised the importance of stronger institutional coordination, reliable agricultural data and effective collaboration among governments and relevant agencies to build resilience against food shortages and nutrition emergencies.
The consultation was held under the theme, “Building One National System from Nigeria’s Existing Capabilities,” reflecting efforts to integrate existing state and national structures into a coordinated framework for food and nutrition crisis preparedness and response.
