FG raises concern as 19.4m Nigerians face starvation — Nigeria — The Guardian Nigeria Information – Nigeria and World Information

• Two million kids vulnerable to extreme acute malnutrition, says FAO

Federal Authorities has expressed concern over latest statistics by Meals and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), displaying that 19.4 million Nigerians throughout 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory are meals insecure.

The evaluation carried out by FAO at first of the 12 months additionally revealed that two million kids throughout the nation endure from extreme acute malnutrition.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Growth, Mohammed Abubakar, disclosed this in Abuja at a media briefing to kickstart the World Meals Day celebration.

He burdened the must be involved over the present indices however urged Nigerians to not panic, saying the Federal Authorities is doing all it might to mitigate the meals problem.

He attributed the disaster to COVID-19 lockdowns, the Russia-Ukraine struggle, which has slowed the motion of uncooked supplies, particularly fertilizer, and flooding occasioned by local weather change.

The minister mentioned: “A few of you would possibly assume COVID-19 is gone however the havoc it wreaked in the previous few years remains to be right here. Up until immediately, lots of provide chain routes haven’t opened up.

“I simply got here again from the US. I’ve been to completely different supermarkets; you will note empty cabinets as a result of up until now, they haven’t been capable of get all of the uncooked supplies they want.

“I flew over Panama in South America once I went to Brazil about 5 weeks in the past. I noticed tons and tons of ships on the Panama Canal, ready to go by way of to ship provides. So, the havoc brought on by COVID-19 remains to be there.”

He, nonetheless, affirmed that there is no such thing as a meals scarcity within the nation, saying: “We all know that we’ve some problems with insecurity. Manufacturing has dropped. However it isn’t important sufficient that we must always have a scarcity of meals. We don’t have scarcity of meals in Nigeria at this level. I wish to be certain that there is no such thing as a scarcity. However costs have risen.”

FAO Nation Consultant, Fred Kafeero, whereas talking on the theme of the celebration, ‘Depart No One Behind: Higher Manufacturing, Higher Vitamin, a Higher Setting and a Higher Life, burdened the necessity to do extra to reverse the pattern of starvation and malnutrition.