Plateau State Government has expressed its readiness to support the Urban Food Hype, a pilot programme being spearheaded by Oxfam, a Non- Governmental Organization in the United States of America with interest in food sufficiency.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang gave the indication when the Head of Oxfam, US, Dr Lati Lawson and Country Director, Nigeria, Dr William Mafwalal, paid him an advocacy visit at the Old Government House, Rayfield, Jos, recently.
The governor who was represented by his deputy, Mrs Josephine Piyo, described the organization as very dear and important to the state because of its interest in the welfare of the people.
He said the partnership between it and the COCIN Community Development, CCD, has helped in the upliftment of the socio-economic lives of the people especially the rural dwellers.
Mutfwang said the organization’s interest in food sufficiency with special attention to Plateau State was commendable. He noted that the choice of the state for the pilot programme was never a mistake. ” If you go round, you will agree with me that Plateau is doing well in terms of farming. And with this assistance coming in, we are going to do a lot more, he added.
While assuring of government’s support to the noble cause, the governor said agriculture was one of the strong pillars of his administration’s agenda which believes that a food sufficient society is a healthy population.
He pointed out that his administration came on board when farming activities had already gone far but that the government has been able to procure fertilizers which will soon be distributed for the dry season farming.
He further assured the organization of government’s support to the Urban Food Hype so as to encourage the teeming populace to embrace farming.
Earlier, Head of Oxfam, United States of America, Dr Lati Laws on, had explained that the organization was founded 80 years back in the United Kingdom during World War 11 to advocate for food as a result of hunger.
He said since then, they have been working in the US and Nigeria as well as 50 countries of the world in agriculture and food security for many years.
The US head of Oxfam disclosed that the Urban Food Hype was a pilot programme in six countries including Nigeria hoping that many youths will take advantage of the opportunity to go into food entrepreneurial business.
He also highlighted that the partnership with the government was to see it proving the worth of the policy framework for the success of the programme.
On his part, Country Director, Oxfam, Nigeria, Dr William Mafwalal, noted that Oxfam has worked in rural communities with 60 percent of the participants who are women and hopes to generate 3 billion naira as savings.
The programme which has ended, he added was self automated and self sustaining.
Mafwalal also stated that the Urban Food Hype was aimed at using the urban centres as production centres. He added that the pilot programme has started in Jos North and Jos South LGAs being the periphery of the city centres.
