The March 2024 meals and vitamin state of affairs evaluation signifies that nearly 50 million individuals of the area together with 31.7 million residing in Nigeria, representing 16% of the entire inhabitants are meals insecure and want help to cowl their primary meals wants within the present lean interval. Contemplating this, the decision-making physique of the ECOWAS Regional Meals Safety Reserve has stood up, although, availing 4,976,75 MT of cereals on technical rotation and 2000 MT underneath the regional solidarity modality, to help the efforts of Nigeria in dealing with this case.
The Financial Neighborhood of West African States ECOWAS has donated over 2,000 Metric Tons of cereals comprising of millet, sorghum, and white maize from the Regional Meals Safety Reserve to the Authorities of Nigeria in Kano on Saturday twenty seventh July.
ECOWAS additionally handed over 4976.75 tons of cereal to the Authorities of Nigeria as a part of a technical rotation of the shares of the Regional Meals Safety Reserve. Inventory rotation is a part of regular inventory administration procedures, permitting ECOWAS to frequently substitute shares which have over 2 years of storage with new ones to make sure that they’re all the time in good high quality and match for consumption.
Handing about 7000 Metric Tons over to the Director of the Meals and Strategic Reserve Division of Nigeria, Dr. S A Haruna, on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Fee, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Improvement and Social Affairs, Prof Fatou Sow Sarr, congratulated the Federal Authorities of Nigeria for the efforts already undertaken in direction of curbing the present troublesome meals state of affairs of the susceptible populations. “This expression of regional solidarity stands as ECOWAS contribution in help of the assorted efforts of the Federal Authorities of Nigeria. This intervention contributes to strengthen the resilience of the populations affected by the troublesome meals and vitamin disaster”, she says.
Whereas receiving the shares meant for each technical rotation and voluntary donation from ECOWAS, Dr Haruna, appreciated ECOWAS for this type gesture to the great individuals of Nigeria, particularly the latest donation of 2000 MT of cereals underneath the modality of regional solidarity. “In view of the significance and achievements of the Regional Meals safety Reserve, the Federal Authorities of Nigeria will proceed to play an energetic function within the sustenance and development of the Regional Reserve and is dedicated to the replenishment of the 4 976.75 Metric Tons mobilized inventory grain-for-grain on the subsequent harvest time”, he guarantees.
This intervention happens on the proper time, in response to the decision from the April 2024 RPCA assembly for pressing motion to help Member States to help greater than 50 million to fulfill their primary meals wants in West Africa throughout this lean interval with greater than half leaving in Nigeria. The ECOWAS regional Meals Safety Reserve additionally plans to help 5 different nations (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, and Sierra Leone) most affected by meals and vitamin hardships throughout the identical interval.
To recall, to date, Nigeria has already benefited from the Regional Meals Safety Reserve about 10, 129 MT of meals grains breaking down to three,999 MT in 2020, 5,000MT in 2019 and 1,130 in 2017.
The Regional Reserve has intervened 19 instances between 2017 and 2024 to help six nations within the area (Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria) for a complete of greater than 55,000 tons of cereals. The Regional Meals Reserve additionally granted to Niger 205 tonnes of fortified flours in 2021 and is at present securing 230 tonnes for Nigeria to offer meals complement to pregnant and breastfeeding girls and youngsters underneath 59 months.
ECOWAS is grateful to the assorted technical and monetary companions who’ve been supporting the operationalization of the Regional Meals Safety Reserve since 2016. Such companions are principally the European Union, the French Improvement Company (AFD), the Spanish Cooperation (AECID) and the World Financial institution.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Financial Neighborhood of West African States (ECOWAS).