The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) is ready to strengthen collaboration with the Central and West African Virus Epidemiology Project (WAVE) to enhance plant health surveillance, mitigate crop diseases, achieve food and nutrition security in NigeriaÂ
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, made this known during a familiarization visit by the WAVE delegation led by the Deputy Executive Director, Prof. Angela Obiageli Eni, in Abuja.
The Minister described the meeting as both vital and strategic, emphasizing the urgent need to combat emerging and existing plant diseases that threaten agricultural productivity and food systems across the country.
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Abdullahi stated that the Ministry is committed to working closely with WAVE and other relevant stakeholders to revalidate critical policy documents and mainstream them into international frameworks of governance for effective implementation.
MoU
The Minister advised that the Department of Plant Health and Pest Control and WAVE enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen collaboration and strengthen institutional processes.
According to him, ‘’the relevant documents and frameworks should undergo national validation to ensure inclusiveness, ownership, and alignment with Nigeria’s agricultural priorities’’.
He emphasised the need to bring researchers, scientists, and economists on board to support evidence-based policies and sustainable strategies capable of addressing emerging agricultural and food security challenges.
Agricultural productivity
The Minister revealed that the present administration, upon assumption of office, renamed the Ministry and repositioned the institution with a clear mandate to support national food security and strengthen agricultural productivity.
In her presentation, the Deputy Executive Director of WAVE, Prof. Angela Obiageli Eni, highlighted the organization’s role in strengthening early warning systems and preparedness for the management of transboundary plant pathogens.
She added the proposed platform is expected to leverage the existing nationwide cassava viral disease epidemiological dataset developed under the WAVE initiative to support plant health surveillance and food security in Nigeria
Monitoring, rapid response database
Earlier, in her welcome address, the Director, Department of Plant Health and Pest Control, Mrs. Grace Iwendi, said that the engagement would focus on strengthening collaboration towards the establishment of a national plant disease monitoring and rapid response database for Nigeria.
She applauded the leadership of the Ministry for its commitment to strengthening the department since its inception, particularly through the promotion of policies and partnerships aimed at improving plant health management, disease surveillance, and agricultural productivity across the country.
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