By Adedapo Adesanya
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has lauded President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency on food security in Nigeria.
Last week, Presidential spokesperson, Mr Dele Alake, said in a statement that Mr Tinubu took this step to tackle the increase in food prices.
He said that the President was “not unmindful of the rising cost of food and how it affects the citizens.”
Food prices have been on the rise across Nigeria in recent years due to conflict and unrest. The situation has further deteriorated due to the impact of government policies such as the removal of subsidies on petrol and hike in interest rates, among others.
Responding to the move in a statement seen by Business Post on Tuesday, Mr Babatunde Ojei, IRC Nigeria Country Director, said the group, which works across countries to deliver integrated interventions in health, including reproductive health, nutrition and water and sanitation, among others, welcomes the recognition of the problem and the urgency to address it.
“We welcome the recognition of the government on the state of food insecurity and its declaration by President Bola Tinubu of a state of emergency over food.
“Nearly 25 million Nigerians are likely to go hungry between June and August 2023; malnutrition levels in northeast and northwest Nigeria continue at higher levels than this time last year or the previous four years, with nearly 2 million people receiving humanitarian food assistance in April 2023.
“Our frontline nutrition staff report that more than 90,000 children were treated for malnutrition in our centres in 2022. We will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure the well-being of families affected by this widespread crisis.”
“The International Rescue Committee is concerned about the needs of the people we serve. We need to bolster funding while also increasing efficiencies to limit the impact on children.
“Those with acute malnutrition are at the highest risk for death – more than 11 times. Simplified approaches can lead to significant efficiency gains and scale, enabling policy shift that can help us reach more children now,” he noted.
The group noted that the application of simplified approaches can lead to significant efficiency gains and scale, enabling policy shifts that can help it reach more children in the country.
Modupe Gbadeyanka