The Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) Mr. Cornelius Adebayo has expressed willingness to collaborate with actors of the Food System Transformation Programme being coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
Mr. Adebayo made this submission during an advocacy visit to him by the Food System Task Team led by the Convenor of the Food System Task Team Dr. Sanjo Faniran.
Adebayo was of the view that a deeper engagement in the food system Programme would be mutually beneficial as NALDA has a variety of initiatives such as the integrated Farm Estates, the renewed hope restoration project through the establishment of mini settlements in addition to the establishment of Agri- business Entrepreneurship Programme.
Mr. Adebayo decried the low budgetary allocation to the Authority by the Budget Office of the Federation but however expressed the desire to achieve the Authority’s mandate despite limited funds allocated to the Authority.
Earlier, the National Convenor of the Food System Task Team Dr. Sanjo Faniran highlighted the achievements of the Food System and thus promised to engage the Authority more in it’s activities.
He informed the Executive Secretary that all the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were committed to the implementation of the Food System Strategy developed from the 78 recommendations submitted at the United Nations Food System Summit by former President Muhammed Buhari, in New York on 23rd September 2021.
The implementation was reviewed by the UN Food Systems hub in Rome in 2023 with the Nigerian delegation led by the Vice President His Excellency Kashim Shettima from 24 -26 July, 2023.