The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the FAO and the Norwegian government took place in Abuja, as stated by Fred Kafeero, the FAO Representative in Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States.
Kafeero emphasized that Norway's support has amounted to a total of $24 million since the commencement of the crisis, benefiting over 1,198,077 people affected by the conflict and ongoing crisis.
He further highlighted that since 2017, the Norwegian government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has consistently contributed generously to rebuilding the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable communities in the conflict-affected regions of Northeast Nigeria.
Regarding the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan, Kafeero outlined FAO's objective of reaching two million individuals as a key provider of livelihood support in the food security sector. However, he noted that the current number of beneficiaries stands at 56,000, highlighting the need for continued assistance to achieve the target.
“Moreover, an analysis of the funding trends reveals that only 3.4 out of 100 units of total funding allocated to the food security sector are directed towards livelihood interventions.
“The addendum for a complementary fund for 2023 is deemed more than important, not only because it marks the continuous and fruitful collaboration, and partnership that exists between the Government of Norway and FAO in Nigeria but because it will contribute to filling the livelihoods funding gap for the 2023 lean season.
“While the funding is contributing towards improving food security in the North-East, the gap is still huge in meeting the needs of 3.7 million people who need livelihood assistance.”
