The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) are in talks for partnerships to harness opportunities locked in the agricultural sector to boost food security. The Minister FMAFS, Senator Abubakar Kyari disclosed this when the NSE President, Mrs Margaret Oguntala, led a delegation to his office in Abuja recently.
Kyari expressed optimism that the partnership would assist in addressing some occurrences like the pandemic, perennial flooding, insecurity and the currency redesign which stiffened money circulation, forced food production to nose dive.
According to him, “NSE is a blue-chip society with huge knowledge resources and the ministry will leverage on their capacity to deliver on government set goals on food security as Nigeria has faced challenges in food production for far too long due to the difficulty that families are facing”.
He noted that the effort at developing sustainable solutions for Nigeria’s food systems is a priority area for the President Bola Tinubu’s administration. While admitting that a “A new strategy is required to reverse this trend. That is why on assumption of office, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency on food security”.
The minister, however, said that a partnership with NSE would help in exploring the initiatives presented to him by NSE to boost food production.
Optimistic that the partnership would aid in addressing the food insecurity in the country, the NSE president, Oguntala said food security is essential for growth, poverty reduction, and human well-being and the entire idea required pragmatic and proactive measures, hence the need for both NSE and the ministry to work together to address the challenges.
She said, “NSE has thrown its weight behind the ministry for the quick realisation of the initiative in the interest of all citizens and is also determined to join forces with both the ministry and other private organisations on the effort in developing sustainable solutions for Nigeria’s food systems.”
Oguntala informed the Minister of the society’s upcoming 2024 International Engineering Conference, Exhibition and Annual General Meeting with the theme, “Sustainable Engineering Solutions to Food Security and Climate Change”.
She said the theme was carefully chosen to align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu and the determination of his administration to ensure food security in the country.
Oguntala added that NSE would like to partner with the ministry on some of its programmes like the Agriculture Entrepreneurial Development.