A non-governmental organization, Oxfam and the Development Exchange
Center, has said a baseline study carried out in selected rural
communities in Kebbi state in March 2017 showed that not less than 67
per cent of those whose livelihoods are in agriculture and natural
resources are food insecure.
The Kebbi state coordinator of Oxfam International in Nigeria, Mr.
Olumide Ojo, made this known while addressing a press conference to
mark this year’s 2018 World Food Day, held at the Safar Hotel, Birnin
Kebbi yesterday.
He said his organisation with support from the European Union was
working with government and non-governmental stakeholders to promote
food security in the state.
“More worrisome is the fact that women and young people constitute
over 42 per cent of those mostly affected by the ugly manifestation of
food and nutrition insecurity in rural areas,” he said, adding that
this has limited access to capacity development, support
infrastructure and limited employment opportunities amongst others.
Ojo noted that the state has a rising profile in agricultural
development in Nigeria and West Africa with profound prominence in
commercial production of rice, sorghum, wheat, maize and soyabeans.
He however noted that “the state is facing multiple challenges,
including climate change in the form of desert encroachment, frequent
flooding of communities along the river bank among others.
