Speaker Abbas: N’Assembly set to address malnutrition, food insecurity

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, on Thursday, reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to enacting legislation aimed at boosting agricultural production and enhancing food security in Nigeria. Abbas made this statement in Abuja while delivering a keynote address as the Guest of Honour at the 22nd Annual Daily Trust Dialogue, themed “Food […]

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, on Thursday, reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to enacting legislation aimed at boosting agricultural production and enhancing food security in Nigeria.

Abbas made this statement in Abuja while delivering a keynote address as the Guest of Honour at the 22nd Annual Daily Trust Dialogue, themed “Food Security: Availability or Affordability?”

Represented by the Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Chike John Okafor, Abbas highlighted the assembly’s dedication to comprehensive funding for nutrition and food security programmes.

He noted that the legislative body plans to establish local government committees on nutrition and food security across the country’s 774 LGAs. This initiative, he said, aligns with the constitutional goal of ensuring no Nigerian child or citizen goes to bed hungry.

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Abbas expressed concern over the high rates of malnutrition in the country, particularly among children, many of whom suffer from stunted growth and micronutrient deficiencies.

“We are committed to enacting policies that support farmers through subsidies, access to credit, and modern farming techniques and inputs.

“We also aim to develop legislation that promotes digital innovation, data protection, and e-commerce while enhancing Nigeria’s export potential and reducing dependency on unnecessary imports.

“Our focus is on fostering transformative collaboration between the government and the private sector in seed production, agro-processing and infrastructure development—key elements in achieving our national vision on food security.

“Our commitment is reflected in the establishment of various committees, such as the Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, which oversees agricultural production, price stabilisation, and related areas, as well as the Nutrition and Food Security Committee, created for the first time in the 10th House of Representatives to tackle hunger challenges,” he stated.

Abbas disclosed that over 15 food security-related bills are currently at various stages of the legislative process, adding that they are designed to strengthen food security initiatives nationwide.

The Speaker also emphasised the importance of collaboration between the legislature and the executive, commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed focus on enhancing food availability and affordability across the nation.

Abbas called on young Nigerians to take an active role in combating food insecurity by engaging in agriculture.

“I believe we must collectively strive to enhance agricultural production, lower costs, and build the infrastructure needed for the agricultural and allied sectors to thrive. Food security is not a privilege; it is a fundamental right. No citizen of our dear country should go to bed hungry due to the gap between availability and affordability.

“With the right focus, driven by the renewed hope programme and supported by our legislative agenda, I firmly believe that food insecurity in Nigeria will soon become a thing of the past. We are closer to achieving this than ever before. I expect today’s robust discussions to yield actionable insights that will strengthen our collective resolve to address food insecurity in Nigeria.

“For us in the House of Representatives, we are ready to partner with the media and support any legislation that arises from this dialogue to ensure food security across the nation,” he said.