Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, on Monday, expressed satisfaction with the World Food Programme’s food intervention progress in Borno.

He spoke during the launch of an Agricultural Empowerment and Food Security scheme for IDPs in Konduga and Ngala LGAs.

The initiative is a joint effort of the WFP, the Borno government, and the federal government to support IDPs, returnees, and host communities through all-year-round farming.

“Distributing food alone is unsustainable. That’s why the federal government is partnering with WFP and the state government to help IDPs grow and earn from food production. This type of partnership is vital. We plan to scale up our investments significantly in this direction,” Mr Yilwatda stated.

He said he was pleased to see people in Konduga and Ngala embracing the Federal Government’s renewed initiatives to improve food security and livelihood.

“People now not only feed themselves but also have surplus to sell,” the minister added.

Mr Yilwatda praised WFP for its collaboration and assured them of continued support from the government for future interventions. He said the scheme was already reducing malnutrition by distributing locally produced food supplements to mothers and caregivers in rural communities.

Before the scheme began, he stated that the government had spent billions of naira on imported food supplements for children.

“Today, I am proud that we now produce these supplements locally here in Konduga,” he said.

David Stevenson, WFP country director, also expressed satisfaction with the scheme’s progress, especially in tackling rural malnutrition. He pledged continued WFP support for both state and federal governments to sustain and expand the scheme in conflict-affected communities.

Earlier, the agriculture commissioner, Bawu Bamusami, stated that the programme had enabled IDPs to become self-reliant by allowing them to farm for both food and income.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Muhammad Kabir and Bintu Maigari thanked the state, federal, and international partners for their support of year-round farming activities.

(NAN)