Buhari Approves Establishment Of National Food Security Council

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the constitution of membership for the National Food Security Council.

The President gave the approval on Friday, days after he announced the intention of the Federal Government to establish the council.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, revealed this in a statement by him in Abuja.

According to the statement, the council which will be inaugurated on Monday is to be chaired by the President while its members will include the governors of Kebbi, Taraba, Plateau, Lagos, Ebonyi and Delta states.

Other Members are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Chief of Staff to the President, the National Security Adviser and seven cabinet ministers.

The ministers to be represented are that of Agriculture and Rural Development; Finance; Interior; Industry, Trade and Investment; Water Resources; Environment; as well as Budget and National Planning.

The National Food Security Council will also have as members, the Chief of Defence Staff; the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; the Directors-General of the Department of State Services and the National Intelligence Agency, as well as the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service.

The broad objectives of the Council will include developing sustainable solutions to the farmers–herdsmen clashes, as well as climate change and desertification and their impact on farmland.

The Council also aims to address the issues of grazing areas and lakes, rivers and other water bodies; oil spillage and its impact on Niger Delta fishing communities; piracy and banditry; agricultural research institutions and extension services and the problem of smuggling.

The Presidency disclosed that the Council would also take interest in regional and global policies and trends that bear implications for food security in Nigeria.