Five-year programme to begin in Benue, Ebonyi, Ogun, Sokoto. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has launched a Zero Hunger Strategic Initiative to end hunger and poverty in Nigeria by the year 2030. The four states of Ebonyi, Benue, Ogun and Sokoto would kick-start the five-year pilot programme aimed at exploiting the agriculture potential of the country.
Obasanjo, who is the Chairman of the Nigeria Zero Hunger Forum, at the launch of the Strategic Review Report, said the country has begun a new journey that would redefine the destiny of hundreds of millions of people in Africa in general and Nigeria in particular. The ex-president explained that the actions recommended in the report would be implemented in all the 36 states including the FCT from January 2017. He added that the forum would support, encourage and monitor progress in the four pilot states, disclosing that the governors of these states have agreed to implement the Zero Hunger Roadmap.
Obasanjo further explained that the forum has put a time frame for the achievement of the goals, explaining that by January 2019 eight more states would be added to the focal states and by January 2021 all 36 states plus Abuja would be included.
The Director General, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr. Nteranya Sanginga said the report is innovative and IITA would offer advance technologies for all the four pilot states. Tony Elumelu, who spoke on behalf of the sub committees, said the private sector has a major role to play in the achievement of the Zero Hunger and the federal and state government should be willing to provide the enabling environment.