FAO partners Yobe govt on food security

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has promised to strengthen partnership with Yobe State government to improve food security in the North-east. FAO representative in Nigeria Mr Sufiyan Koroma, stated this during a courtesy visit on Governor Ibrahim Gaidam in Damaturu. He noted that the partnership would continue to provide food and nutrition […]

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has promised to strengthen partnership with Yobe State government to improve food security in the North-east.

FAO representative in Nigeria Mr Sufiyan Koroma, stated this during a courtesy visit on Governor Ibrahim Gaidam in Damaturu.

He noted that the partnership would continue to provide food and nutrition to people in crisis-ridden areas of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

He said based on the analysis of FAO, it was discovered that there is huge food insecurity in the three states that are worst affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

“In pursuant to that, under the rainy season programme last year, the FAO targeted an average of 4,800 households. We were able to distribute 6000 goats and food items for victims of insurgency for them to regain their means of livelihood,” he said.

He explained that for the three years of their effective presence in Yobe, the organisation had developed relevant responses to food and livestock crises by building resilience through diversifying interventions in wet and dry season farming, livestock rearing, fish farming, renewable energy, savings and loan activities, and community-based production.

He commended the state governor for his leadership and support to humanitarian activities in the state.

Earlier, Governor Gaidam, who was represented by his deputy, Abubakar Ali, said the state has a population of over three million with over 70 percent of it agrarian.

He said the state is cultivating 1,096,554 hectares of land, of which 366,000 hectares are Fadama land and has 765km of rivers, tributaries, flood plains and lake across 12 of the 17 local government areas.

He appreciated the organisation for all the agricultural intervention rendered to the state.