Aliyu Shinkafi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, has affirmed that the current food crisis and poverty in Nigeria can only be addressed through partnership.
Shinkafi stated this at the 30th Regular Meeting of the National Council of Water Resources and sanitation held in FCT, Abuja.
He stressed that proper synergy between sister agencies and stakeholders in the sector would enhance irrigation of farmlands that will guarantee adequate food supply annually.
The Permanent Secretary added, “Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)1,2,6 which encompasses poverty in all its form everywhere, end hunger and achieve food security and improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture as well as ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030 can only be overcome if we work as team.
Shinkafi emphasized that attention should be paid to water governance and its contributions towards the promotion of food security in Nigeria.
“Our planet is encountering a most daunting challenge of insufficient food and water which are all threats to human survival and its sustainable development, and the risk that our planet will experience global food and water crises between now and 2050 is very high”
Consequently, the keynote speaker, Inuah Musa in his paper presentation, hinted that poor water governance is responsible for hike in prices of food stuffs in the country and added that good Water Sanitation governance would not be possible without water bill.
The senior water Resources manager for the World bank in Africa, Emmanuel Chinedu, assured continuous assistance towards food security in the country through irrigation drainage development.
