Members of the national steering committee on the implementation of food systems transformation
The Federal Government has inaugurated a national steering committee on the implementation of food systems transformation pathway in the country.
At the inauguration of the committee in Abuja, the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, said the committee is expected to transform the nation’s food systems across the six geopolitical zones for the sustainable development of the country.
The committee is saddled with the provision of leadership for zonal coordination of the implementation of the food systems transformation pathways in all the 36 states and the FCT; receive updates from the states in the six geopolitical zones, and lead advocacy to the state governors and Governors’ Forum.
Other terms of reference for the committee are: galvanizing both political and financial support for implementation by critical stakeholders; reviewing priority actions in the food systems transformation as may be required by the UN Food systems coordination hub, and supervising the activities of the appointed zonal coordinating directors and Technical Working Groups of state and federal MDAs.
Prince Agba said the steering committee would provide leadership for the implementation of all the 78 recommendations for transforming food systems.
“As the coordinating Ministry, we have constituted a multisectoral and multi stakeholder implementation Task Team, including all relevant stakeholders and our development partners, to serve as a think-tank for effective implementation of all the 78 priority recommendations that will change the narrative and serve as game-changer to our food systems from the farm to folk and finally to waste,” he said.
Due diligence, he continued, was taken in the identification of the committee members who would drive the implementation of the food system, both at the national and sub-national levels of government in the country.
There was no better time to inaugurate the committee than now, considering that the present administration was transiting to a new one on May 29, the Minister added.
Members of the committee include: Minister of State, Budget& National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba; Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Country Representative, Fred Kafeero; IFAD Country Representative in Nigeria, Dede Ekoue; World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director, David Stevens; Permanent Secretary, Budget & National Planning, Engineer Nebeolisa Anako; Planning, Alhhaji Aliyu Ahmed; Permanent Secretary, – Finance, Dr Ernest Umakhihe; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Mary Ukoette Bassey; Permanent Secretary, Akwa Ibom Ministry of Agriculture, Christopher Joseph Udoh; Permanent Secretary, Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Economic Planning; & Permanent Secretary, Borno State Ministry of Economic Planning, Mariam Shehu.
Reporting by Harriet Adams: Editing by Daniel Adejo and Tony Okerafor