By Victor Akaa, Abuja
The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika has inaugurated inter-ministerial committee on food security in Abuja.
A statement made available to News headquarter signed by Sani Datti for the
Director, Public Affairs,James Odauda said the committee was charged with the responsibility to review from 2015-2018 the impact of seasonal rainfall prediction (SRP) of the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET) on the nation’s food security.
According to the Odauda, during the inauguration the minister said, “the prediction which is very scientific and exact, are extremely important and beneficial to what we do, like how to plan cities and build in such a way that stands the weather condition, but the most important one is our ability to feed our self by knowing when to plant and harvest the type of crops at what particulars season.
“It is in recognition of the importance of the annual rainfall predictions that the Agency is being empowered and positioned for more accuracy.
“We are acquiring capability through NIMET to cascade and drop it down within meters and inches of accuracy, noting that in 2017 some farmers in Sokoto came to testify that from the prediction and the advice they have gotten that they were able to make good harvest for the season and unfortunately other who didn’t follow the advice had losses”.
According to Odauda, some of the terms of reference given to the committee include; examining the level of awareness of stakeholders (especially farmers) of the SRP, examining the consumption vis a vis production of agricultural products on the nation’s economy within the period and comparing and contrasting the agricultural production and SRP within the period of 2015-2018, amongst other assignments on the subject matter.
The minister further urged the committee members to take the job very seriously as national assignment and do it with all the necessary due diligence as well as finish on time, considering its likely effect on the nation’s food sufficiency capacities.
In his response, the Chairman of the committee and Director Planning Research and Statistics Mohammed Shehu pledged the resolve of the committee to work assiduously and deliver as expected.
He therefore thanked the minister for the opportunity to serve for the committee whose assignment, according to him touches the life of the average Nigerian.
