June 10, (THEWILL)- The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has distributed farm inputs to 26,725 households for the 2024 wet season farming to ensure viable and sustainable food security in Borno State.
The UN agency said this year’s farmers’ intervention was funded by the Governments of Norway, United States of America, Switzerland, and the European Commission.
The FAO’s interim representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS region, Dominique Koffy Kouacou, disclosed this on Monday, during the launch of the 2024 wet season inputs distribution in Northeast at Du Usman in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State.
The UN agency said zero hunger as highlighted by the SDG2 guides its intervention through the procurement and distribution of nutrient-dense vegetables, cereals, and legume quality seeds and NPK fertilizers.
“FAO is supporting 26,750 vulnerable households, including returning IDPS and their host communities with productive agriculture assets to rebuild their lives and livelihoods. The 2024 intervention in Borno State will benefit 9,975 households across seven Local Government Areas in the State.
“The support by FAO will help households mitigate the escalating food insecurity while at the same time building the resilience of the returnees in the settled communities. It is our expectation that these interventions will improve food production and income generation and build resilience among conflict-affected returnee households,” he said.
The acting Governor of Borno State, Usman Kadafur, said the state was indeed aware of the strategic role being played by the Food and Agricultural Organisation, particularly in assisting victims of insurgency and in “our collective efforts to bring about viable and sustainable peace and security in the state”.
“The distribution of these crop production inputs will, therefore, encourage our farmers to be more determined in engaging in farming activities and towards having a reliable and dependable means of livelihood,” he stated.
Khadafur solicited the cooperation of international organisations, especially “our international partners and non-governmental bodies in our determined efforts to address the multifarious challenges of development confronting the state, with a view to improving the well-being and livelihood of our people”.
About the Author
I am Ladi Dapson, a general writer with thewill. I cover Borno and Yobe states respectively.
I based Maiduguri, Borno State Capital.
I can be reached via [email protected].
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