Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to implementing the Food System Transformation Pathways (FSTP), a United Nations initiative aimed at promoting access to safe and nutritious food for Nigerians.

According to a statement from the Government House on Sunday, the governor made the remarks in Ilorin, the state capital, during a two-day bi-annual zonal review meeting on the implementation of FSTP. The meeting was organised by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

The FSTP initiative was introduced by the United Nations in response to the food crises triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses on addressing global food security issues through three primary strategies: home gardens, school gardens, and farm estate practices.

Governor AbdulRazaq highlighted the significance of these pathways in ensuring sustainable food security and strengthening the state’s agricultural sector, stating, “Our administration is fully aligned with the goals of FSTP and will continue to prioritise policies that ensure every Nigerian has access to safe and nutritious food.”

According to the statement by the Assistant Press Secretary, state Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Afolabi Temple, the zonal meeting, which took place between Thursday November 21 and Friday, November 22, drew participants from 13 Northern and Southern states including Ogun, Lagos, Ekiti, Ondo, Nassarawa, Plateau, Niger, Kogi, Oyo, Osun, FCT, Benue and Kwara which is the host.

AbdulRazaq, who was represented by the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Sa’adatu Modibbo-Kawu, said Kwara is leaving no stone unturned to achieve the objectives of the programme.

“Over 300 public primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools have school farms which also include Animal husbandry like poultry, fishery and hoat and sheep rearing,” he said.

He said there is a synergy between the State Committee for Food and Nutrition and the Committee for the Food Systems Transformation Pathways to strengthen nutrition activities and ensure that nutritious food is available to eradicate malnutrition in the state.

He commended the Federal Government for the choice of Kwara State as the host, calling the convention a significant milestone in the journey to transform Nigeria.

The Commissioner for Finance, Dr Hauwa Nuru, said the state under AbdulRazaq is already championing the food security programme through numerous supports for crop farmers in the state.

“The meeting is about food security. Our state is already doing a lot with the governor championing this. Our cluster farmers are regularly supported with land allocation and farm inputs, the same way the government is encouraging backyard farming. So, a lot will be achieved in terms of increasing our food production,” Dr Nuru said.

On his part, the commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Olohuntoyosi Thomas said Kwara is doing greatly in term of farm estate, home garden and school farming, adding that over three hundred schools are already being supported by state government on crop production and animal husbandry.

“So far in Kwara State, we have over one hundred clusters which are the same as farm estates. That ranges between 20 to 5 hectares. As a result of that we have been able to improve our productivity. We have done four interventions out of which 70 percent went to clusters,” she said.

The National Convener for FSTP and Director of Social Development, Federal Military of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Sanjo Faniran, said climate change, erosion, unwillingness of youth to farm, and drought are some of the challenges facing the agriculture sector in the country that can be addressed through FSTP.

“All the states of federation are included and brought together. Each state is expected to implement those tractions and value chains that will change the narrative in the food system so that the food security can be guaranteed”, he said.

“Nigerians should be involved in planting instead of crying that there is no food. When you are involved in planting at the back of your house, if you don’t have land, you can use plastic to plant vegetables. You can use a sack to plant yam”, she said.