The Government of the Royal Kingdom of Norway has renewed its funding cooperation with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, targeted at assisting over 300,000 most vulnerable persons in North-East Nigeria.

Ambassador of Norway to Nigeria, Knut Eiliv-Lein, stated this during the signing ceremony in Abuja that would kickstart the project implementation that has three-year framework of about $6.3 million in addition to other core supports.

The renewed commitment by the Royal Kingdom of Norway is coming few weeks after the release of the October 2022 Food and Nutrition Analysis also known as Cadre Harmonisé Report of the FAO which indicated that about 17 million people, including Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs and returnees in 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory are in food crisis. The report also showed that the number was expected to rise to 25.3 million people between June and August 2023.

The 3-year intervention by the Royal kingdom of Norway will benefit 43,990 households of about 307,930 individuals, with at least 45 per cent of them being women as direct beneficiaries who will receive agricultural inputs, livestock assets and energy saving stoves.

The FAO Representative in Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Fred Kafeero, says the move is part of efforts by the FAO and the Kingdom of Norway to mitigate the increasing rate of hunger and malnutrition in the country.

Since 2017, the Government of the Royal Kingdom of Norway has provided financial support of more than $20 million reaching over one million conflict-affected people in the North-East region of Nigeria.

The benefitting states are Borno, Adamawa and Yobe known as the BAY states with Taraba now included for special attention to be given to women-headed households.

AITNEWS