FAO Launches 2024 Rainy Season Input Distribution to boost Food Security in Northeast Nigeria
Maiduguri – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched the 2024 Rainy Season Input Distribution in Maiduguri, Borno State. This aims to bolster food security and resilience in the region. Held on Monday 10 June 2024 in Dusuman, Jere Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State, the event marks the beginning of distributing essential crop production inputs for Nigeria main agricultural season across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) States.
This initiative, supported by the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and United State Agency for International Development’s Bureau of Humanitarian Aid (BHA), in partnership with state governments, aims to provide lifesaving support to farmers, particularly those who have recently relocated to either their ancestral homes or resettled in new communities, and revitalize their livelihoods. The distribution encompasses high quality seeds of cereals, vegetables, and legumes and fertilizer, targeting 26,750 subsistence and small-scale farmers across 84 wards in the four states.
In March 2024, the Cadre Harmonisé (CH) food security analysis alerted that 31.8 million people in 26 states and the FCT are expected to reach crisis or emergency level of acute food insecurity during the lean season. More than 4.84 million of them live in Borno Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states. Without humanitarian support, these families face critical food shortages and malnutrition, forcing them to adopt desperate measures like selling off essential assets or skipping meals.
The Deputy Governor, Hon. Umar Usman Kadafur, commended FAO for its support in addressing development challenges in the state, acknowledging FAO's strategic role in assisting victims of insurgency and promoting peace and security.
Dominique Koffy Kouacou, the FAO Representative ad interim in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, emphasized the importance of input distribution to “reduce food insecurity aggravated by conflicts, natural disasters, and economic shocks. FAO's extensive program targeting Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), returnees, and host communities in conflict-affected areas, stresses FAO dedication to procuring and distributing high-quality seeds and fertilizers towards a world with zero hunger.”
Reacting to the inputs received, participants in Dusuman expressed gratitude and appreciate the assistance from the government and development partners, especially FAO, for providing them with seeds and fertilizer right in time to engage in the main agricultural season.
Yanziy3 Ali, one of these farmers, remarked, "Traditionally, we relied heavily on government and development assistance for our food supply. Now, with the agricultural inputs provided by FAO, we would have food to eat and even sale at the end of the harvest. This would help us to sustain ourselves and our families."
The distribution of crop production inputs represents a pivotal step towards revitalizing agricultural activities in the region, fostering resilience among farming communities. FAO remains committed to promoting sustainable agriculture, alleviating hunger, and building resilient food systems in collaboration with governments, partners, and stakeholders.
Contacts for more details:
David Karls Tsokar Chukwuka Kelvin Nwachukwu
Communications Specialist Communication and Reporting Specialist
FAO Nigeria FAO Nigeria
[email protected] [email protected]
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