A Non Governmental Organisation, Abundance of Hope Initiatives (AHI), is set to partner with farmers, women and young people to tackle food crises and deforestation challenge currently facing the country.
The Executive Director of AHI, Ambassador Taiye Sasona, made this known on Saturday at an occasion organised to enlighten and train residents of Jikwoyi, a suburb in the Federal Capital Territory, on the effects of deforestation in Abuja.
“Abundance of Hope Initiative is a Non-Governmental Organisation established to support and advance food security, green life and healthy society through consultation and engagement with indigenous and international partners and stakeholders.
“We are ready to work with farmers, women and young people to find a sustainable solution to address common societal challenges, especially the food crises, in a manner that helps to ensure self-sufficiency in line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Goal 2 and Goal 15,” he said.
He expressed concern over the increasing rate of desertification and drought as a result of the activities of man which, he noted, has led to the crisis of climate change.
“In case you don’t believe, desertification has eaten the livelihood of about 40 million people in key areas of livestock rearing and agricultural production such as beans, soybeans, millet, sorghum, tomatoes, melons, pepper and onions, leading to food insecurity in the country.
Sasona also lamented that the incessant conflict between the herders and farmers in the country has led to thousands of death and displacements in several communities which has impacted negatively on agricultural sector.
He added that deforestation has also done more harm than good in agric sector.
The executive director said there must be political will by leaders at all level to tackle the problem.
He advised that subsidies for agricultural machinery for farmers would help to encourage food production.
“Government at all level must always sit with farmers and farmer groups before investing millions of dollars in afforestation and reforestation programmes that must have effect as we tackle desertification.
“Enlightenment progress for planting of more trees, improved rural electrification programme, partnership with private bodies, NGOs and international organisations, among others, will go along way in solving the problem,” he said.
Some of the participants at the programme commended the NGO for bringing the event to the area.
For the District Head (Hakimi) of Jikwoyi, Nicodemus Machi, the programme was a welcomed development to solving the challenges.
He said though the indigenes are good at planting trees, the chief said “the major challenge they face within the community is that their lands have been hijacked by the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), saying that even when they plant trees, individuals come with government papers and clear their farmlands.”
He expressed concern over the non-availability of land for indigenes to either farm or plant trees.
He, however, encouraged the people to keep planting trees in the face of the challenge.
