CEM REPORT, AGROFOOD | The Federal Government of Nigeria has entered an agreement worth $99.5 million with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
The deal which will stand for five years will see Nigeria implement the FAO Country Programming Framework (CPF) and achieve its vision of development and change in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).
The CPF 2023-2027 agreement is targeted at realising four strategic priorities of the FAO – better production, better nutrition, better environment and better life.
The FAO Representative in Nigeria and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Fred Kafeero, in his presentation during the agreement signing in Abuja, said that following the expiration of the 2018 to 2022 CPF, FAO in Nigeria commenced the process of consultation with relevant stakeholders at the federal level and selected state levels.
He added that the CPF is targeted at supporting Nigeria to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF.) which envisions that no one living in Nigeria would be left behind.
“The CPF is aligned with the national development policies and programmes in this country, it is aligned with our offer and support as the United Nations in Nigeria. It is also aligned with our FAO global strategic framework that emphasises the transformation of agri-food systems in countries.
“The CPF in this case also takes advantage of several cooperative initiatives that FAO has launched in the last few years. We are focusing on four pillars which we call the strategic pillars and they are best on the FAO global strategy to realise what is called the four betters.”
The Assistant FAO Representative to Nigeria, Abubakar Suleiman, said the project has four pillars, which include sustainable and inclusive agri-food systems for improved productivity, increasing the resilience of food and agriculture-based livelihood systems, healthy and nutritious diets as well as sustainable natural resource/climate management.
