Osun Leads South West Food Sufficiency Program

Compiled and Edited by Saula quadri T

The Polytechnic Ile-Ife, Osun State

The Federal Government has selected Osun State to coordinate the implementation of the Food System Transformation Pathways in the South West region. This initiative, aimed at improving food security and nutrition in Nigeria, will focus on boosting food production, increasing employment, and enhancing income for smallholder farmers and food enterprises across the zone.

The Food System Transformation Pathways was established by the United Nations to ensure the development of efficient food systems that can generate higher incomes for farmers, empower women, create job opportunities for youths, and stimulate economic circulation. By 2030, the initiative targets reducing poverty and unemployment, combating hunger and food insecurity, lowering food imports, and promoting sustainable food trade, all while improving the empowerment of women in agriculture and enhancing environmental sustainability.

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, in a letter to Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, confirmed the state’s appointment as the coordinating hub for the programme in the South West. Oyo and Ekiti states will also be part of this regional effort, with Osun overseeing their coordination. This move aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s broader goals of ensuring food security and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria.

The letter, which was also addressed to the governors of Oyo and Ekiti states, emphasized the importance of Osun’s role in achieving the objectives outlined during the Stock Taking Moment (STM) in Rome, which was led by Vice President Kashim Shettima in July 2023. The coordination arrangement was reinforced during a retreat in March 2024, which brought together commissioners of economic planning, agriculture, and health from across the country.

As the coordinating state, Osun will work closely with other states to review the programme’s implementation on a quarterly basis. Commissioners for Economic Planning, Agriculture, and Health in all 36 states and the FCT are expected to collaborate to ensure the effective execution of the Food System Transformation Pathways strategy, aiming to strengthen food security and nutrition across the nation.