HE Suffyan Koroma (left) in a warm handshake with HE Jean-Claude Kassi, shortly after presenting his credentials.

Abuja - His Excellency Suffyan Koroma, FAO Representative in Nigeria and to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has presented his letter of credence to the President of the Commission His Excellency Jean-Claude Kassi Brou.

The ceremony took place at the Commission's headquarter in Abuja today, shortly after the FAO Country Representative participation in the road show to kick-start the commemoration of the 2018 World Food Day.    

The FAO Representative was accompanied by Mr. Mawuli Sablah, the Nutrition and Food System Expert (Nigeria/ECOWAS).

President Jean –Claude Kassi warmly welcomed H.E.Koroma to Nigeria, and assured that all necessary support would be given to the FAO Representative in Nigeria and to ECOWAS in the effort to ensure a hunger free West Africa.

H.E Kassi Brou stressed the crucial role and activities of the FAO in food security in West Africa and reaffirmed his readiness to work with the FAO to achieve the zero hunger goal in the region, which is the Theme for the 2018 World Food Day Commemoration.  

H. E. Suffyan Koroma presented some memorabilia on the World Food Day and the FAO 40^th Anniversary commemoration to the President of the subregional body.

The two leaders briefly reviewed the fruitful cooperation between FAO and the ECOWAS. In his remarks, His Excellency Koroma further reiterated the support of FAO to the implementation of the Regional Agriculture Food Security Nutrition Investment Plan developed to achieve the Malabo Commitment under the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme

H.E. Koroma referred to FAO projects in all 15 countries of West Africa as well as Regional projects totalling an estimated 335 million USD.

These projects he said, cover key areas such as Climate Smart Agriculture, livestock, crops, sanitary phytosanitary/food safety, fisheries/aquaculture, forestry, nutrition, gender, agribusiness and resilience emergency response to food security and sustainable food systems.

On implementation of projects the FAO Representative confirmed his commitment to continue to work closely with ECOWAS to achieve the key priorities and targets of the ECOWAP@10, Agenda 2063, the SDGs, and the ICN2 framework for action, the COP21 & 22 in the regional agricultural policies and investments plans.

 FAO has been represented in Nigeria over the past four decades, but officially for 40-years and today marked the beginning of the commemoration of the 2018 World Food Day and the 40th Anniversary Commemoration under the theme: “Our Actions are our Future, A #Zero Hunger World by 2030 is Possible”.