Stakeholders Urge Government To Hounour Farmers With ‘National Farmers Day’
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate 2023 World Hunger Day at the weekend, stakeholders including National Biotechnology Development Agency, NABDA, Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology, OFAB, and others, asked the Federal Government to declare ‘National Farmers Day’.
They said this would be a special day to recognise and support farmers’ immense contributions to food production and job creation for Nigerians.
According to the Director General/Chief Executive Officer, CEO, National Biotechnology Development Agency, NABDA, Prof Abdullahi Mustapha, in a welcoming remark, said the World Hunger Day is to x-ray efforts in reducing hunger from different perspectives and proffer more solutions to ensure food availability.
Mustapha said: “World Hunger Day is observed on May 28th each year as an opportunity to raise awareness about the issue of hunger and food insecurity that affects millions of people around the world.
While there have been significant strides made in reducing hunger and malnutrition, there is still much work to be done, one way to address this issue is by supporting and recognizing the contributions of smallholder farmers who grow crops and foods that are the backbone of the food systems in these countries.
“The primary aim of this event is to use the commemoration of the World Hunger Day to launch a ‘National Farmers Day’ as a campaign for the Global South to showcase the role that agricultural biotechnology can play in ending hunger in our lifetime.
“This is why we are bringing together a cream of distinguished personalities to discuss ways of promoting sustainable agricultural practices that will support government efforts in addressing the challenges of food and nutritional security.”
Meanwhile, he explained that, “NABDA as an agency, responsible for the deployment of Biotechnology tools in the development of our Nation is doing everything possible to deploy the science of genetic modification technology to combat hunger, hidden hunger, and other forms of malnutrition.
“But as we all know, the fight to food and nutrition security can better be won as a team and for that reason.
He appreciated the Alliancei for Science (AfS) Global South, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) for their unflinching support and partnership towards reducing hunger.
Lateefah Ibrahim
