The Head of the United State Embassy in Nigeria, David Greene, says the United States’ government has for over five years invested about $200 million in food security in Nigeria through its international development agency.
The official made the disclosure Thursday while delivering his remarks during the launch of the US government’s Global Food Security Strategy Country Plan for Nigeria in Abuja.
“USAID invested almost $200 million in agriculture over the last five years to improve food security and build household resilience to shocks in Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kebbi, Niger, and Yobe states,” Mr Greene said.
The official noted that they have also provided modest grants to 33 private-sector companies to leverage over $150 million in private-sector development, generate $306 million in domestic sales, and create over 23,000 jobs.
He explained that the strategy launched represents one year of intensive consultation and hours of discussion, in demonstration of real commitment to addressing food insecurity in Nigeria.
“And so this Global Food Security Strategy, which we launch today, supports that commitment to improve food security in Nigeria. It builds on previous achievements and lessons learned, and prioritises inclusivity, value addition, climate adaptation, and private sector engagement, including job creation,” he said.
Food crisis in Nigeria
Mr Greene said it is no secret that Nigeria is experiencing a severe food crisis due to complexity of issues, including insecurity, inflation, currency devaluation, increased cost of inputs, trade restrictions, climate change, and post-harvest loss.
In January, he said Nigeria recorded an over 35 per cent increase in food prices, making it difficult for the 84 million Nigerians living below the poverty line to buy food.
“If we project out into the future, global food demand will double by 2050, and yet at the same time key staple crops are showing a decrease of up to 30 percent,” he said.
The official explained that while climate change is causing extreme weather conditions like drought and floods, he said it is even more challenging for smallholder farmers to increase yields and incomes.
Despite having the sixth largest arable land area in the world, Mr Greene said Nigeria is ranked the sixth least prepared country, globally, in terms of the ability to confront climate change.
He cited the USAID Administrator, Samantha Power, who said: “Climate change is leading to ever-more disastrous shocks, and with so many of the harshest impacts falling on poor farmers, how do we break the cycle of lurching from food crisis to food crisis?”
Mr Greene said the organisation is working to answer the question by developing innovations to assist the millions of farmers in Nigeria, including the 70 percent of smallholder farmers who still rely on rain-fed agriculture.
Insert picture of Mr Greene alongside Nigeria’s Minister of state for Agriculture, Aliyu Abdullahi and USAID Deputy Mission Director, Sara Werth
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, in his remarks, reeled out ongoing measures by the government to address the lingering food insecurity challenges in the country.
He said the government’s target is to be able to address the food crisis concerns in the country and stabilise the situation.
“The youth population of our country is an asset. We are encouraging the youth to come into the agricultural sector by leveraging on the tools they know better, which is ICT,” he said.
Mr Abdullahi said the government hopes the Nigerian youth will be able to use artificial intelligence to enhance agricultural productivity in the country.
He emphasised that the government is committed to working with all relevant individuals/organisations in the agricultural sector.
Based on this, the minister said they are doing all they can to expunge existing constraints so that the government can get all the support necessary to improve the agriculture sector.
“Our potentials are huge but Nigerians will not eat our potential,” the minister said, adding that if agriculture is a business, the capacity and capability of Nigerian farmers must be strengthened.
On her part, Sara Werth, USAID Deputy Mission Director, said Nigeria’s diverse ecological zones and vibrant young populace hold the key to a bountiful future.
“But to unlock this potential, we must join hands. From government to private enterprise, to academia and the tireless efforts of civil society, let’s work together to forge a path towards food security,” she said.
She stated that the United States government’s journey to end global hunger, poverty, and malnutrition did not start today, noting that it traces back to President Obama’s visionary Feed-the-Future initiative launched in 2010, which Congress later solidified in 2016 through the Global Food Security Strategy.
“Nigeria was selected as one of only 20 countries to implement Feed the Future given its potential for rapid and sustainable agriculture-led growth,” she said.
Call to action
Mr Greene said the potential for agriculture-led economic growth is endless, and that while the US government and other partners are trying to support Nigeria, Nigerians are best placed to solve the issues that affect them.
“However, for ideas to grow and drive economic development, the Nigerian government must create an enabling environment that supports private sector-led growth and entrepreneurship,” he said.
He noted that US companies and other US private sector stakeholders are eager to help Nigeria improve agricultural productivity, trade, and food security, but that clear and transparent tax and investment rules are needed for meaningful growth.
The US official said food must be available to buy, and prices must be affordable for all Nigerians.
“The Nigerian government should embrace the adoption of genetically modified crops to boost the productivity and income of smallholder farmers while removing trade restrictions, including food and agricultural import bans. Competition and free trade fosters creativity and efficiency,” Mr Greene noted.
By Abdulkareem Mojeed
