FAO Award For Nigeria's Work Towards Ensuring Food Security

The Food and Agricultural Organization has commended and handed an award to the Federal Government of Nigeria for its sustained work towards ensuring food security to its citizenry. FAO data shows a noticeable drop in number of chronically under nourished individuals in the country from 19.31 million. (1990 -1992) to 13.38 million (2010-2012) which translates to a drop from 19.3% of the population to an impressive 8.5%. This positive figures indicates that the country is moving faster than the forecasted targets of 9.7% by 2015 in line with the MDG projects

The Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development Adewunmi Adesina confirmed this while handing over the award to the President. In his speech, he acknowledged the role played by policies enacted by the present government to ensure a consistent push towards reaching the goal of improved domestic food production industries and food security.

9 million metric tons of food has been added to the production chain within the last two years to our domestic food supply, and the success of dry season rice production in the country was a major talking point at the FAO summit in Rome earlier this week. In the last two years, Nigeria has managed to produce 1.8 million metric tons of rice per day which is 55 per cent of the target set for achieving self sufficiency in rice production by 2015.

The Minister, clearly excited by the award still had an eye on the greater picture stating that as long as any Nigerian goes to bed without food, the job of the government was still not completed. The President, Jonathan Goodluck was very appreciative of the minister and his team. 

"Let me use this unique opportunity to tell Nigerians and the rest of the World that we appreciate this award. We are yet to reach where we want to go but surely, we will get there."