Nigeria and other African nations, as well as the United Nations have called for collective action, shared purpose and determination to combat food insecurity both on the continent and globally.
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, who joined other African leaders at the opening session of the United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, said Nigeria is scaling its agricultural drive with modern technology such as Artificial Intelligence, geospatial analytics and satellite-driven climate intelligence to end food insecurity in the country.
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He said that while food insecurity has now become a shared affliction that is no longer taking cover in distant lands, African nations must learn to swim against the tide, amid climate change and other global challenges.
“A broken food system in any part of the world diminishes the dignity of humanity as a whole. Let us rise with a shared purpose. Let us build a world where no child sleeps on an empty stomach, where no farmer is forgotten, and where food is not a luxury but a human right,” he stated.
The Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications, Office of The Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha in a statement says, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Dr Abiy Ahmed, described the summit as a moment to take stock and to renew a shared commitment to building food systems that are resilient and inclusive.
Ahmed noted that Africa needs predictable concession finance to invest in agriculture, rural transformation, infrastructure and literacy.
According to him, since the first food system summit in 2021, Ethiopia has launched a comprehensive roadmap for food system transformation.
“Globally, food systems are facing immense pressure from planning stock, shocks, conflicts, inequalities and economic destruction.
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At the same time, development assistance has declined in multilateral cooperation. These challenges threatened production, supply and dignity in the subregion nations”, he said.
In a recorded videocast,The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, noted that food systems are about more than food, saying they include climate, justice and the right to a better future.