PRESS RELEASE
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HUMANITARIAN MINISTRY AND WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME HAS ACHIEVED SEVERAL MILSTONES IN THE HUMANITARIAN SPACE -SANI-GWARZO
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Dr.Nasir Sani-Gwarzo mni, NPOM, has stated that the partnership that has existed between the Ministry and World Food Programme has been very cordial and has achieved several milestones in the humanitarian space.
The Permanent Secretary stated this at the Joint Press Briefing between the Ministry and WFP at the UN Building in Abuja.
Dr.Sani-Gwarzo stated that the meeting is important to the Ministry not only to discuss the success stories from the partnership but to chart a course that will continue to strengthen the provision of enabling environment, demonstration of application of the principle of whole of society and whole of Government approach in humanitarian delivery.
He said the collaboration led to the Joint development of the WFP Country Strategic Plan (CPS) 2024-2028 before it was presented at the Executive Board Meeting for approval in Rome, Italy on 1st March, 2023, he said the five years plan made provision for WFP to extend its areas of assistance to the Northwest and Refugees Camps in Nigeria instead of the Northeast previously covered .
Dr.Sani-Gwarzo said “furtherance to the directive of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, the Commission initiated two projects for Nigeria and other member states to support their efforts in addressing the humanitarian situations. The projects for Nigeria was domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development”.
He said leveraging on the partnership that has existed, the Ministry graciously selected WFP to implement the stabilization fund for Victims of Humanitarian crisis in the North East and Western Nigeria which was part of the two projects ECOWAS Commission initiated, WFP upon receipt of the fund from ECOWAS Commission provided a counterpart funding to cover the administrative costs, which assistance is reaching out to a wider population of beneficiaries.
The Permanent Secretary said the stabilization fund project was implemented in six Local Governments Areas (LGAs) in the North East and North West respectively with a total of 27,432 persons impacted across the selected LGAs. The intervention has touched and still touching the lives of vulnerable population in Nigeria, like the Widows, People Living with Disabilities (PWDs), Child Headed Households, Pregnant and Lactating Mothers, Aged (60 years above), Sick household Heads (Bedridden), Household with concentration of children with less sources of income and Displaced Persons/People in IDP camps.
He further said that the WFP supported the Ministry with deployment of both National and International consultants whose efforts contributed immediately to the development of National Policy on Cash and Voucher Assistance (NPCVA) in Humanitarian context, which has been approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on the 23rd of May, 2023 during the extraordinary FEC meeting subsequent to further amendment and correction as sighted.
He urged other partners in the humanitarian space to follow the steps of WFP by involving the Ministry in their plan from start to finishing, so as to have Government by-in into their plans for the country.
Earlier the World Food Programme Representative and County Director, David Stevenson, said UN World Food Program WFP is the largest humanitarian organisation fighting hunger worldwide, he said since 2016, the WFP has been working in Nigeria with the Government, partners and other stakeholders to deliver on its mandate of zero Hunger.
He said the WFP Executive Board has approved a new County Strategic Plan (CSP) for Nigeria. The CSP defines WFP entire portfolio of assistance within the country for 2023-2027 and that the CSP is valued at US$2.56 billion and is designed to support Nigeria in achieving food security and improved nutrition by 2030,in line with the sustainable Development Goals
Mr. Stevenson said the CSP also seeks to contribute to improve good health and wellbeing, inclusive education, gender equality and climate action and foster a reinforced partnership in strengthening the National humanitarian and development response, all in accordance with the SDGs.
He said WFP support is delivered through lifesaving crisis response and life change resilience building activities- together with technical assistance and policy advice to help maximize the return on the Government’s investment in food security and Nutrition
He disclosed that the CSP which took effect from March 2023, is aligned with Nigeria’s National Development Plan (2021-2025), Nigeria Agenda (2050), the National Multi-sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (2021-2025) and the National Humanitarian Development Peace Framework. He said the CSP is also consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Nigeria (2023-2027)
The County-Director said as food insecurity continues to spike in Nigeria, over 25 million people are projected to face Hunger at the peak of the June-August 2023 lean, he said in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States alone, some 4.4 million people are projected to be acutely malnourished in the North-East States alone.
According to him humanitarian aid has not kept pace with this sharp rise in Hunger levels, overall WFP is assisting some 2.1 million vulnerable people in Nigeria in 2023 through food assistance and Nutrition support, cash payments and livelihoods projects to build back the resilience of the people affected by conflict
He also mentioned WFP contributions to other durable solutions like support to small holder farmers, financial services, supply chain, support to the transport industry, social protection, pist-harvest management and food security analysis.
The Head of Programme, WFP, Serigne Loum, gave a detailed presentation of the content of the new WFP CSP in Nigeria, 2023-2027.
Rhoda Ishaku Iliya
Deputy Director Information
14th June, 2023.