The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Mohamed Fall, has reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in strengthening food systems, promoting climate resilience and accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Fall gave the assurance on Thursday at the ongoing two-day National Dialogue on Nigeria’s Convergence Initiative on Food Systems and Climate Action in Abuja.
The dialogue brought together stakeholders from government, development partners, academia, civil society and the private sector to explore ways of aligning food systems transformation with climate action in support of the SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement.
“The United Nations remains a committed partner to Nigeria,” Fall said.
“Through the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, we will continue supporting nationally led efforts that strengthen food systems, promote climate resilience, empower women and young people, mobilise sustainable financing and accelerate progress towards the SDGs.”
He described food systems as encompassing all activities involved in producing, processing, transporting and consuming food, noting that effective food systems improve public health, protect the environment, strengthen economies and preserve cultures.
Fall recalled that the UN Secretary-General convened the Food Systems Summit five years ago to galvanise global action towards sustainable food production and consumption.
He said the national dialogue represented another important step in advancing resilient, inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems in Nigeria, while commending the Federal Government for bringing stakeholders together to pursue a shared vision for food systems transformation.
“Nigeria continues to demonstrate that when national leadership is matched by strong partnerships, transformation is possible,” he said.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, Ms. Lara Rothe, announced that Nigeria had become the 22nd country to join the Convergence Initiative on Food Systems and Climate Action.
She said countries around the world were increasingly recognising the importance of integrating food systems transformation with climate action.
According to Rothe, Nigeria has demonstrated strong commitment since the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit by convening more than 40 national and local dialogues, which helped shape the country’s Food Systems Transformation Pathway and identified 78 priority actions.
She reaffirmed the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub’s commitment to supporting Nigeria through continued collaboration with the Federal Government, the UN Country Team and other development partners.
During a technical panel session, UNICEF’s Chief of Nutrition, Ms. Nemat Hajeebhoy, stressed the need to place nutrition at the centre of food systems transformation.
She said efforts to improve food systems should go beyond increasing food availability to ensuring access to nutritious diets, particularly for children.
“There is a need to improve food systems not just because people need to eat, but because the food they consume must provide adequate nutrition, especially for children to grow healthy,” she said.
Panelists from the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), UNICEF and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) also underscored the importance of empowering young women through mentorship, skills development and capacity building to enhance their competitiveness in the global economy.
They further called on governments and development partners to move beyond dialogue by strengthening collaboration, implementing strategic policies and increasing sustainable investments to build resilient and inclusive food systems.
Source:NAN
