By Ado Hassan, Sokoto
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that to attain the 2025 target on ‘ Zero Hunger’ strategic initiative, it must be all inclusive.
Doing so, the former President said would support the drive to attaining food and nutrition security for the country.
” We have to take everybody along in demonstrating our resolve and determination to meet the SDGs by striving to drive the initiative to success”, he said.
Obasanjo made the remark Thursday night in Sokoto at a dinner organised in his honour and participants of the ‘Zero Hunger Strategic Forum’ initiative.
The “Zero Hunger” strategic meeting held at the newly inaugurated International Conference Centre(ICC), Sokoto had in attendance, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Governor Dave Umahi represented by Ebonyi state House of Assembly Speaker, former Governors of Adamawa and Anambra states, Murtala Hamman Yero Nyako and Peter Obi.
According to the former President who is also the chairman of the Forum ” Zero Hunger initiative is aimed at not only having food availability, but access to availability and affordability.
” It is not enough to produce but having the resources to access.
” No body should go to bed with hunger and not without knowing what to eat the next morning.”
Obasanjo explained that the Zero Hunger initiative is billed to be achievable by the year 2025 among 17 others adopted by the UN leaders.
He noted that despite the series of reports on the Forum’s findings perceived to be first class, ” our biggest challenge is implementation.”
Accordingly, the former President noted that the state’s were more directly involved in agriculture business and nutrition policies.
Meanwhile, Dr Kenton Dashiell, Deupty Director-General, Partnerships for Delivery in a communique issued at the end of the Forum’s meeting stressed the need for adequate investment in agriculture and research activities by states.
He noted that the drive was important and critical in strengthening the vision for ‘Zero Hunger’ initiative.
The communique further urged Sokoto and other states to explore avenues for positive results.
” We need to understand and drive the initiative differently through synergy with experts as well attract helping hands. Although, we have responsively took a field study to observe relevant programmes on agriculture in Sokoto.
” We commend the state government for its remarkable base line progress which should be sustained”, Dashiell said.
The communique also called for intensified awareness initiative to promote the drive for zero hunger.
He noted that the base line report of Sokoto state showed that it had met the target of Maiduguri, Borno state resolutions by committing over 10% of its budgetary allocation to agriculture” We hope it would be sustained towards achieving zero hunger”, the communique said.
However, in attendance at the dinner were Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Governor Dave Umahi represented by the state House of Assembly Speaker and former Governor Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa among others.
