Follow Us on Google
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
House of Representatives has said it was committed to harmonising relevant legislations and policies as part of its concerted efforts to tackle food insecurity in the country.
Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Chike Okafor, stated this at a press briefing, yesterday in Abuja.
He explained that the House, in line with its commitment to food security, had concluded plans to hold a summit on nutrition and food security, as part of its open week, beginning on July 8.
The lawmaker noted that, “despite decades of national policies and sectoral programmes aimed at improving nutrition and food systems, Nigeria continues to grapple with alarming rates of malnutrition and food insecurity.
“Children under the age of five, pregnant and nursing mothers, as well as vulnerable populations in rural areas bear the brunt of this crisis. This situation is exacerbated by factors such as climate change and environmental degradation, persistent insecurity across food-producing regions, high inflation and cost of living, inadequate infrastructure for food storage, processing and distribution.”
Consequently, he stated that the summit was intended to harmonise legislative policy and programmatic responses to nutrition and food security challenges across all tiers of government, as well as examining innovative and sustainable financing mechanisms for nutrition.
Furthermore, he explained that the summit would also formulate strategies for building resilient and inclusive food systems, particularly in the face of climate shocks, economic disruptions and insecurity, among others.
“This summit reflects the resolve of the House of Representatives and the 10th Assembly, to lead from the front in addressing one of Nigeria’s most pressing human development challenges,” he said.
The lawmaker, while calling on development partners to align their technical and financial support with nationally determined legislative frameworks, implored the private sector to invest in nutrition oriented innovations and interventions.
