James Emejo in Abuja
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has commended Nigerian farmers for their resilience and contribution to food security particularly the revolution witnessed in local rice production.
The organisation’s Assistant Director General/Regional Representative for Africa, Abebe Haile-Gabriel, said Nigerian smallholder farmers had been spectacular and had made remarkable in rice production amidst several obstacles.
The United Nations institution, however, urged the federal government to build the resilience of Nigerian farmers to manage the various risk factors plaguing the agricultural sector rather than managing disasters
Haile-Gabriel, alongside FAO Deputy Director of the Office of Emergencies and Resilience, Shukri Ahmed, is in Nigeria on a high-level mission to strengthen solidarity and amplify the voice of humanitarian actors in advocating support to stem food insecurity across the country.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, Haile-Gabriel said, a hitherto imported-depended country, Nigeria has been able to reverse the trend by boosting production and aiming toward self-sufficiency in rice cultivation.
He said, “Nigeria used to be dependent on imported rice. But in the past few years, Nigeria has done a fantastic job in the production of rice locally, moving towards self-sufficiency.
“So, Nigeria has done a lot, it may not be enough but that is why there is a need for partnership to support the efforts of the government.”
Ahmed, however, emphasised the need to de-risk the sector for vulnerable farmers.
He said, “These floods would come again, these droughts would come again, how can we prepare ourselves better to prevent the impact that they’re going to have on people?”
He added that though managing disasters had become fashionable in the continent, there was a need to embrace risk mitigation to build farmers’ resilience to shocks.
The FAO noted that the disasters occasioned by displacement due to conflict, floods, droughts and several other climate-related occurrences have become regular features that require adequate preparation to deal with going forward.
According to the FAO advisory, the visit reiterates the organisation’s commitment at the highest level to building the resilience of agriculture-based livelihoods to multiple shocks.
The delegation will also meet with selected senior government officials in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, UN Heads of Mission and development partners in Abuja.
