Misbahu Bashir
17 October 2007
Nigeria produces less than the required quantity of wheat, Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr. Abba Sayyadi Ruma, has said.
Ruma made this knwon Monday at the 27th World Food Day symposium in Abuja. He said Nigeria demands 14 million metric tones but produces only 40, 000 metric tones of wheat per annum.
Ruma was optimistic that the current national food security programme would close the gap in the next four years.
"The programme will boost food production and make the country self sufficient while producing surplus for export", he said.
He noted that in view of the fact that it is only about 8 years to the 2015 deadline when world leaders pledged to reduce hunger and extreme poverty by half as well as make substantial gains in education, the ministry has realised the need to assist and support the small holder farmer because he is at the epicentre of poverty.
The Country Represent-ative of the Food and Agricu-lture Organization (FAO), Mr. Helder Muteia, said the theme for 2007 World Food Day; 'Right to Food', implies that every person- woman, man and child - must have access at all times to food, or to means for the procurement of food that is sufficient in quality, quantity and variety to meet their needs, and is free from harmful substances and acceptable to the culture wherever the person lives on earth.
Muteia said in Nigeria, the challenges of ensuring the right to food are enormous, considering the increasing demands due to population growth that also puts pressure on the land and water resources.
"We shall strategise on how the citizens attain those rights as a responsibility binding on all. This can only be done through more resou-rce efficient increased food production and mechanisms that ensure sustained food security", he said.
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