Nigeria embarks on Food Revolution

In bid to revamp Nigeria’s food sector, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Fund (SDG-F) has partnered with Kaduna State government on Food security Project.

The Project is an initiative set to revolutionize the food industry in Kaduna and Nigeria at large. It will introduce more sustainable practices in the value chain, reduce crop waste and improve smallholder farmers’ profitability.

The State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, represented by his  Deputy, Bala Bantex, launched the project today at the State House in Jere, Kaduna.

It will also create new jobs for young people and support Nigeria’s self-sufficiency food policy. , officials said.

Food Africa Project is a joint partnership among UN Goodwill Ambassadors, brothers Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca of restaurant, El Celler can Roca, UN Agencies, the Sahara Group and Nigerian government authorities.

UN Goodwill Ambassadors Master Chefs Roca Brothers will contribute their valuable knowledge in sustainable conservation, food preparation and distribution techniques.

The Rocas will provide skills training for young women and men as well as providing technical oversight and sharing best practices.

The renowned chefs will play a key role in showcasing how local food production can be cultivated for new markets and consumers.

“It is an honor for us to be part of this vibrant, promising and collective project and contribute with our cooking, our imagination and our passion to advance the sustainable development goals,” Josep Roca said during the launch of the project.

He added “we are doing this on behalf of all chefs, not only ourselves.”

Several specialized UN Agencies will provide expertise on food production (FAO), labour and employment (ILO) and international trade (ITC). An early warning Geographical Information System (GIS) will also be available to connect farmers with agricultural extension services and provide real time market data.

Sahara Group, a leading African energy conglomerate and member of the SDG Fund Private Sector Advisory Group and major co-financer of the project, will bring its business perspective to the programme to ensure the viability of the facility’s operations.

“We are excited to showcase this new project which will go a long way to shine the spotlight on the links between agricultural training, food security and improving nutritional livelihoods in our communities” said Tonye Cole, Executive Director and co-founder of the Sahara Group.

The Kaduna State Government will provide the land for the constructed facility as well as farmland and personnel. The state government will collaborate with other state-level stakeholders to improve local infrastructure including rural roads to allow greater access to the facility and farmland.

“The commitment of the state government to this project is unwavering. We are expecting nothing but the best from this collaborative effort which resonates with the aspirations of the government with regards to empowering our people and ultimately achieving the SDGs in Kaduna State,” said the Deputy Governor Bantex.

It is expected that 5,000 women and men of Kaduna will be directly impacted with new job prospects, increased income and additional skills to compete in the thriving food industry.

In addition, an estimated 500,000 residents will indirectly benefit from the Food Africa Project which is designed to be scaled-up in the region and eventually replicated in other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.