- The Swiss Federation has donated €1.2 million to support flood victims in Borno State, responding to the recent devastating floods
- Swiss Ambassador Nicolas Lang emphasized that the funding will provide essential assistance, including health services and temporary shelter for affected communities
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shield Africa Sustainability and Development Initiative, Mrs. Osenaga Orokpo, has called on the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to take urgent action to address the growing threat of hunger in Nigeria.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Orokpo expressed concern over food security in the country, stating, “These interesting times hit Nigeria harder because of our population. If we don’t take those steps now, I think we’re really going to run into a disaster really fast.”
She emphasized that agriculture plays a critical role in addressing hunger and poverty, two of the core issues Shield Africa is focused on through its mission, which is aligned with five Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): no poverty, zero hunger, quality education, gender equality, and climate action.
Orokpo praised the National Agricultural Growth Scheme, an Agro-pocket initiative launched by President Bola Tinubu’s administration. This scheme is designed to enhance food security by increasing production and boosting farmers’ incomes.
In addition, Shield Africa announced the launch of the Agri-preneur of the Year Awards, an initiative that will grant N2 million to young entrepreneurs in the agricultural value chain.
The award aims to support and empower these young farmers to scale up their production efforts.
“It’s time to recognize and reward the efforts of our young farmers, who are responsible for producing the food that we all eat. This project highlights the need to boost agriculture to achieve zero hunger,” Orokpo concluded.