Ogun Vows to Key into FG Agric Policy
Ogun State government has reiterated its commitment to key in into the federal government agricultural policy on food security and nutrition strategy in order to address the problem of child malnutrition in the state. The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Adeola Odedina gave the assurance at a meeting with the representatives of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Abuja.
According to him, the current administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun has already started the move through its value chain programme for improving on child nutrition in the state. He informed that one of the agenda of Governor Abiodun led administration policies in agriculture was to drive the state economy through Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative by producing sufficient nutritional food for the citizens in the state.
While assuring that the state ministry of agriculture would work closely with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture as part of its policies in making child nutrition deficiency a thing of the past, the Commissioner urged the Federal Ministry to support the state government in achieving its food security and sufficiency program.Earlier, the Deputy Director, Head of Nutrition and Food Safety Division of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Oyeleye Razaq said his team was in the state to encourage the state to key-in into the ongoing federal government programs in order to reduce the rate of child malnutrition as part of the agricultural policies of the government.
In his remark, the Minister for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Alhaji Muhammed Nanono said the Federal Government was making frantic efforts to reduce malnutrition by promoting nutrition and food security in the country. The Minister, who was represented by his Special Adviser, Dr Adeyinka Onabolu noted that no fewer than 12 million Nigerian children are suffering from stunted growth which she linked to lack of good food. He said, “it is not only agric that can bring down this alarming figure, it is in collaboration with other sectors . For example if you feed a child in a right way and the child is given dirty water to drink, that child will develop diarrhea, wipes off every investment you have made on that child . Nanono said, “Ogun State was part of the states chosen to address the challenges of abnormal growth through agriculture” .