The government of Nigeria and the World Food Programme (WFP) have collaborated to tackle food insecurity in Katsina, Zamfara and Borno states.

It is understood that the country’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has deployed a humanitarian fund of $1 million received from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to respond to food and nutrition needs in the states.

The fund, according to the ministry, will assist 840 food-insecure households as well as provide them with a N27,000 monthly cash transfer.

‘This project has provided the ministry the unique opportunity of showcasing best practices of partnership and collaboration in delivering humanitarian intervention’, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, said.

‘It has equally advanced the efforts of the Nigerian government in touching the lives of a critical mass of Nigerians in vulnerable situations’.

The Commissioner for Social Affairs and Gender at ECOWAS, Siga Fatima Jagne, said the regional body will continue to build the resilience of victims of terrorism in northeast Nigeria.

For his part, the WFP Country Director, Ronald Sibanda, said the contribution came at a ‘critical time’ when communities are battling the impacts of conflict and climate change.

The fund from ECOWAS was granted to the government of Nigeria from the ECOWAS Regional Stabilisation Fund.

In addition to providing life-saving food and nutrition assistance to vulnerable families, WFP is also using the ECOWAS donation to build the resilience of the households in the conflict-affected states of Borno, Adamawa, Yobe and Katsina.

According to the ministry, the project will provide milling machines and training support to 603 returnees from Cameroon and displaced rural women to support them in generating some income to sustain their livelihoods.

Photo source: Vannette Tolbert/WFP