The United Nations has reaffirmed its commitment yesterday to supporting Nigeria in its pursuit of food security and regional stability.

In a high-level meeting held in Abuja, UN Deputy Secretary-General Dr. Amina Mohammed and Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, discussed strategies to address the country’s ongoing food crisis.

The visit aimed to strengthen the collaborative partnership between Nigeria and the United Nations in the areas of agriculture and food security.

Dr. Mohammed emphasized the vital role that robust institutions play in combating food insecurity, cautioning that without these, Nigeria’s ability to overcome its challenges would be severely hampered.

She acknowledged the complex issues facing the country, including the effects of climate change, internal conflicts, and the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine on global food supply chains.

Dr. Mohammed called for urgent and coordinated action to address food security in Nigeria, urging the government to utilize domestic resources to attract further international support.

She also underscored the importance of modernizing Nigeria’s agricultural sector, advocating for increased investment in green energy and digital technologies. These innovations, she noted, could make farming an attractive and sustainable profession, particularly for the nation’s youth.

“For us, this visit, we hope, will give you the visibility and the support that the United Nations continues to consolidate and to increase in convening many more partners for the challenges.

“We from the international community will make sure that we do our best to support you to meet those expectations in a country that is challenged, but I still believe has more potentials than the challenges, and I look forward to seeing the success”, she said.

In his remarks, Minister Kyari expressed optimism that the UN’s support would further strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural sector and contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to poverty and hunger eradication.

“Your visit to the FMAFS-Nigeria is apt and timely to create a new paradigm shift that will further improve the agriculture sector with food systems, the UN transformation pathway and request to establish a stronger partnership to strengthen the existing cooperation and make projects for new ties for sustainable development.

“We must rise to the occasion and invest massively in agriculture leveraging the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) 1 and 2 which you could use your global influence to explore opportunities for Nigeria to create jobs, diversify the economy and reduce food imports”, the minister said.

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