FG moves to boost food security in Nigeria

A National Agricultural Resilience Framework has been put in place by the Federal Government to adapt agricultural practices to climate change effects and to ensure food security in the country.

Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, disclosed this at a two-day workshop on “Effective Watershed Management for Environmental Hazard Control in Nigeria” to address the issue of flood and erosion in the country, organised by the Institute of Erosion Studies of the Federal University Of Technology Owerri (FUTO).

According to Lokpobiri, the initiative in part, aims at improving farming systems, research capacity and extension services for climate risk management.

“The strategy is to deploy sustainable land management and climate – smart agriculture approaches to capacitate smallholder farmers to enhance ecosystem services, increase agricultural production, promoting economic livelihood, generate employment and create wealth in the country”, he said.

The minister listed areas of intervention to include agro-forestry, small scale water harvesting and management integrated soil-fertilizer, management technologies, farmer’s managed reservation, vegetative and terraces measures, grazing land management and global positioning system in technology application.

Olufemi Akande, representing the provost, Federal College of Land Resources Technology Owerri, express regret that erosion of varying magnitudes now constitute a major constraint to the availability of the desired flat or slightly sloppy surfaces needed for agricultural production in the country and enjoined the workshop participants to do justice to the topic.

Cyril Asiabaka, vice chancellor, FUTO, who represented by Okoro Ogbobe, a professor at the same university, regretted that the nation’s watershed had been severally affected by the destructive influences of both climatically and human-induced environmental hazards.

The vice chancellor also lamented that gully erosion which had become a permanent feature in the South-East zone for some years now had resulted in the loss of several lives and properties worth billions of naira, just as most neighboring communities had been cut off from their neighbourhood by gully erosion.

“It is against this background that I have been consistent in sponsoring staff to workshops, seminars and conferences both within and outside our citadel of learning and had also assisted research centers/institutes to organise seminars, international workshops and conferences”, he said.

Cosmos Ahiarakwem, director, Institute of Erosion Studies (IES) in his address explained that the Institute had the mandate of planning, conducting and coordinating research, training, consultancy and general services on environmental degradation due to human and nationally induced forces.

SABY ELEMBA