In line with sustainable development goal 1 which aims at reducing extreme hunger and poverty, the Akwa Ibom state government has unveiled its short and long term strategies towards food availability and affordability for her citizens.
At a press conference on Friday, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Offiong Offor listed the strategies to include addition of 24,000 bags of rice to the Federal government donation of 24, 000 bags bringing the total number of bags of rice for her citizens to 48,000.
The Commissioner explained further that each of 2,272 gazetted villages in the state will receive 20 bags of rice both from the state and the federal government of Nigeria.
Dr Offor said this is in addition to the over 100,000 families from the social register who have already received, or will soon receive, free food items from the state government through the Bulk Purchase Agency.
“This intervention aims to mitigate the hardship currently faced by our citizens, reducing extreme hunger and poverty in line with Sustainable Development Goal 1. A hungry populace can lead to unrest, making food availability, affordability, and security a priority for this administration”
The long term strategy put in place by the government through the ministry of agriculture and rural development include the Back to Farm Initiative, promoting local food production, and designating the first and third Fridays of the month as work-free farming days.
“The Ministry of Agriculture has implemented several strategic interventions, including distributing cassava cuttings, maize grains, pepper seedlings, and coconut seedlings to 135 public primary and secondary schools. Additionally, we have distributed 150,000 cocoa seedlings to cocoa farmers, 40,000 oil palm seedlings to oil palm farmers, 80,000 pepper seedlings to vegetable farmers, 20 metric tonnes of rice shared to rice farmers across the state, and livestock and poultry supplies to poultry farmers.
“Furthermore, we have provided livelihood grants of N150,000 to 1,560 beneficiaries and agricultural inputs and services to 900 farmers under the AKCARES Scheme.”
