On Wednesday, the United Nations World Food Programme launched a $2.56 billion Country Strategic Plan for Nigeria with the goal of reducing hunger and malnutrition in specific regions of the country's north, west, and other chosen states.
Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa in the northeast; Sokoto, Zamfara, and Katsina in the northwest; as well as Cross River and Taraba states; were all mentioned in the blueprint.
David Stevenson, WFP Representative and Country Director announced this during a news conference in Abuja with Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development.
The Country Strategic Plan, according to Stevenson, specified the UN agency's complete portfolio of support inside the country from 2023 to 2027. “The Country Strategic Plan is valued at $2.56bn. That’s over $500m a year of assistance for Nigeria to achieve food security and improve nutrition by 2030,” he stated.
Stevenson added that the CSP was created to assist Nigeria in attaining food security and enhanced nutrition by 2030, which was in accordance with SDGs-2.
He also stated that the CSP aimed to improve excellent health and wellness, inclusive education, gender equality, and climate action, as well as build a strengthened collaboration in boosting national humanitarian and development response in accordance with the SDGs.
“My job as country representative in Nigeria is effectively running a big business, a business that is valued at about $1m every day of assistance. And we are assigning contracts with Nigerian companies, with Nigerian civil society every day to get the food assistance where it’s needed most,” stated.