The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has announced its commitment to engage with the government of Nigeria on the food production value chain and climate-smart agricultural practices and to think about the future direction and support needed to ensure food security.
The Associate Vice President of IFAD, Rome, Dr. Donal Brown, made this disclosure while addressing journalists on the outcome of his meetings with the Nigerian authorities, expressing confidence that the present administration is committed to food security.
He explained that the aim of his visit was to meet the new government and review IFAD’s support for the government, pointing out that IFAD’s current portfolio in Nigeria stands at about $400 million while it commits about $110 million every three years in the country.
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Brown revealed that since its presence in Nigeria, IFAD has spent about $1.5 billion in the country supporting agricultural projects, adding that IFAD and the Nigerian government are currently designing a new project to support the food production value chain in northern Nigeria and climate adaptation.
“Nigeria is facing many challenges, as you all know, with inflation and the issue of food. The president declared an emergency on food security, and I think he can make a difference in that context,” the IFAD Associate Vice President said.
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The IFAD Country Director, Mrs. Dede Ekoue, said the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise Project for the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) and the Value Chain Development Program (VCDP) have strong performances on the ground through the adoption of strategies to strengthen the resilience of farmers to climate change while also working to enhance food and nutrition security.
According to her, projects of the Nigerian government and IFAD have had great success around several parameters, which include significant improvements in productivity, production, income, and the inclusion of women, youth, and people living with disabilities.
