𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗙𝗚 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝘀

The House of Representatives, on Thursday, urged the Federal Government to address the scourge of hunger across the country through coordinated harmonisation of the various poverty reduction schemes currently being implemented in the country.

The decision of the House followed the consideration and adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Yobe lawmaker, Mrs Khadija Ibrahim, during a plenary session.

PUNCH Online reports that a recent estimate showed that about 139 million Nigerians, representing 61 per cent of the population, are living below the national poverty line, with projections suggesting this figure could reach about 141 million by 2026 due to economic pressures, including inflation and weak growth.

The country is facing a severe food security challenge, with the United Nations World Food Programme projecting that about 35 million Nigerians will face severe food insecurity in 2026, the highest on the African continent.

Khadija said, “Millions of Nigerians are unable to afford basic food items and essential services, thereby aggravating food insecurity and malnutrition, especially among women, children, the elderly, and internally displaced persons.”

She further noted that the North East, which is predominantly agrarian, is the worst hit, stressing that “For several years farming activities were severely hindered due to insurgency, displacement of rural populations, destruction of farmlands, and loss of productive assets.”

The lawmaker further noted that while security has improved in the zone, a large number of farmers remain unable to resume full agricultural activities due to a lack of access to inputs, financing, extension services, irrigation facilities, storage, and rural infrastructure necessary for agricultural recovery.

She warned that failure to fully reintegrate displaced farmers into existing agricultural recovery and food security initiatives will continue to entrench poverty, hunger, and dependency in the region, “with negative implications for national food sufficiency, economic stability, and peace-building efforts.”

Following the adoption of the motion, the House urged the President Bola Tinubu-led government “To strengthen and harmonise ongoing national poverty reduction, food security, and post-conflict agricultural recovery initiatives, with deliberate focus on agrarian communities affected by insecurity.”

It also mandated the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in collaboration with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, to mainstream farmers in the North East into existing agricultural recovery programmes by providing timely access to farm inputs, credit support, extension services, mechanisation, irrigation, storage, and value-chain development to restore livelihoods and boost food production;

The relevant Committees of the House were mandated to intensify oversight on agricultural recovery, poverty alleviation, and food security interventions, particularly in conflict zones and report to the House for further legislative action….