World Food Day: Reps Celebrate with Nigerians, Promise More Efforts to Ensure Food Security
By Juliet Vincent
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, Hon. Bello Kaoje has felicitate with Nigerians on the occasion of this year’s World Food Day Celebrations.
In a statement on Wednesday, he said as Nigeria join ‘the world in celebrating this year World Food Day’ a day set aside to double efforts towards eradicating hunger across the world, the House of Representatives committee on Agricultural production and Services, aligned itself with the rest of the world to commemorate the annual event on 16 October.
He said the day is celebrated widely by many other organisations concerned with hunger and food security, including the, World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Funds for Agricultural development.
According to him, the WFP received the noble prize in peace for 2020, for their efforts to combat hunger, contribute to peace in conflict areas, and for playing a leading role in stopping the use of hunger in the form of a weapon for war and conflict.
He said, “This year: (2024) celebration of the international’ day with the theme“Right to food for a better life and a better future”. Call for concern for both government and the governed.
“This is because many Nigerians have no right to balanced diet and to better life due to high cost of food-items (high inflation rate of 2 digits) the highest in the World and many can no longer afford food, as a right,” he noted.
Hon. Kaoje said, although the federal government,under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu has put measures in places to address the food crisis situation of hunger and starvation as it is becoming worse every day, even as food prices are no longer within the reach of average Nigerians.
The lawmaker said, “The government measures which include 150 days duty free, import window On food commodity, suspension of duties, tariff and taxes, for importation of certain food commodities through land border like maize, brown rice, wheat and cowpea; importation of 2,500 metric tons of maize and wheat; and the engagement of relevant stakeholders to set up Growth Means Production and purchase surplus to small holders farmer food reserves.
“Other efforts by the federal government included; Ramp-up of production for 2024/2025 farming cycle; renewed hope National Livestock Transformation implementation committee | and enactment of nutritional security, have not yet yield the, desired result,” Kaoje said.
The lawmaker promised that, on its part, the House of Representatives through its Committee, under his chairmanship is committed and will continuously give its support to achieve food security programmes being aware of the fact that hunger is one of the problems confronting the country.
He said, “The committee which has its members drawn from the 36 states of the federation is sensitive of the food insecurity problem facing the country and is working assiduously using its legislative function to proffer solution to the problems”.
While saluting Nigerians on the celebration of the 2024 World Food Day, the chairman assured that the House of Representatives under the leadership of Hon. Tajudeen Abbas will evolve legislation process and laws that will bring.about the desire result and solution to hunger and starvation in the land.
