National News
Nigeria is Susceptible to Food Insecurity Due to Climate Change – FG
Nigeria is Susceptible to Food Insecurity Due to Climate Change – FG
By: Michael Mike
The Federal Government has said the raise the alarm that the nation is at risk of food insecurity as it is susceptible to adverse effects of climate change such as erratic rainfall, draught and flooding.
The Government, also noted that this may have a trickling effect on security as food security is the first step to national security, anywhere in the globe.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe said this on Wednesday in Abuja, at the Pre-Food Systems Stock-Taking Moment Media Engagement, organized by Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in Collaboration with United Nations Information Centre (UNIC).
Umakhihe who was represented by the Director, Nutrition and Food Security in the Ministry, Mrs. Sugrat Mahmood, said: “Nigeria is susceptible to adverse effects of climate change such as erratic rainfall, draught and flooding.”
According to the Permanent Secretary, “One of the major challenges to food security in Nigeria is climate change. It has precipitated a lot of conflicts between farmers and herders. The conflict is been driven by struggle for resources. Nigeria is susceptible to adverse effects of climate change such as erratic rainfall, draught and flood. In the past couple of years, we have seen escalation in extreme whether event, particularly flooding, which has strangulated small holder farmers’ investment. This climate variation cause significant threat to crops and livestock production, leading to reduced yields and economic loses’.
On the declaration of state of emergency on food security by the government, Umakhihe said: “We look at the prospect that the declaration of emergency has thrown into the fray for us, and it is very important. It underscores government commitment to address the critical issue of food security. It is a pledge to collaborate with all stakeholders, and the government need everybody on board, including farmers, agri-businesses, research institutions, NGO, and private sector players”.
He said that the government need to unlock the investment potential in the private sector, because they will make it happen and they will sustain it.
He added that: “To develop a holistic and impactful solution, we need everybody to be on board.”
The Permanent Secretary, Budget and National Planning, Mr. Nebeolisa Anako, said the media engagement is to update and inform the general public and all stakeholders on the upcoming United Nations Food System Summit which is Stock Taking Moment on implementation of the Food Systems Transformation Pathways in Nigeria.
He explained that food systems entail a complex network that includes all the inputs and outputs used in food production, processing and consumption, adding that from, “this systematic thinking, we can see the array of actors involved from the researcher or seller of the grains/seeds or seedlings, to storage, to the farmer, the soil, water for planting, harvester, to the processor, processing technique, equipment used, down to the storage, transportation, marketing, cooking method and serving”.
He recalled that in 2020, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres called on countries to come up with modalities to improve their food systems.
The UN Scribe, he said, called on nations to make their food systems to be more resilient, responsive and sustainable in a quest to achieving the SDGs.
He added that it was in light of the
foregoing that the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning coordinate in line with its mandate to organize stakeholders in the food value chain to address the challenges of
the food systems.
He also stated that all the efforts are aimed at ensuring equity, inclusivity, livelihood opportunities, youth and gender mainstreaming and with the spirit of leaving no one behind.
The Country Programme Analyst, West and Central Africa Division, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Mr. Adebayo Ogunniyi, said, the challenges that lies ahead of the world in food security, are immense, and complex.
He however noted that global food systems are under tremendous strain, grabbling with issue such as climate change, resource scarcity, food insecurity and unequal access to nutrition.
According to him, “Nigeria has multiple shocks that have direct links to the food systems, some of them involves the 2019 COVID pandemic and the Russian Ukraine war, as well as flooding that affected small holder farmers”.
The Country Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Dr. Michael Ojo, said, Nigeria is amongst the few countries that has taken concrete steps to transform the promises and intentions that were made in 2021, when the country share its national food system transformation pathways with the rest of the world at the UN food system summit in 2021.
He disclosed that next week, the world would be in Rome to take stock of what had happened since 2021, stressing that Nigeria will be in a position to reflect on her progress.
He said, “I guess the only problem is that the pace of progress is not keeping up with the scale of challenges. This is where the declaration of state of emergency by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be welcomed”.
Nigeria is Susceptible to Food Insecurity Due to Climate Change – FG
International Day of Democracy/ ActionAid Nigeria Demands Good Governance
By: Michael Mike
As the world commemorates the International Day of Democracy under the theme, “From Voice to Action,” ActionAid Nigeria has insisted on good governance and the repair of the fractures in the nation’s democracy in order to ensure its foundational pillars are not eroded.
A statement on Monday by the Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu noted that the theme of the day serves as a powerful call to move beyond merely expressing the will of the people (voice) to taking decisive steps to translate that will into tangible results and good governance (action).
He noted that: For Nigeria, this year’s commemoration is not a theoretical exercise; it is an urgent demand for a system where the voice of the people is not just heard, but is acted upon to repair the fractures in our democracy and ensure its foundational pillars are not eroded.”
Mamedu also noted that “Our democracy is at a critical juncture. While we have sustained a continuous civilian rule for over two and a half decades, the promise of democracy, accountability, good governance, and credible elections remains, for many, an illusion.”
He highlighted the recent 2025 Chandler Good Government Index, which ranked Nigeria at a dismal 116th out of 120 countries, and the Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance, which places us 33rd out of 54 African nations, stating that these “are not mere statistics; they are a damning indictment of a system that is failing to deliver on its most basic duties. This trust deficit is palpable and it stems from a leadership that often operates without genuine accountability to the citizens it purports to serve.”
He added that these figures, alongside a national unemployment rate that has remained stubbornly high and a multidimensional poverty index showing that a third of our population lives in abject poverty, paint a picture of a democracy that is not delivering on its promise.
He noted that the Rivers State situation in 2025 serves as a chilling testament to this democratic regression, a situation where a state of emergency was declared to settle political scores.
He further noted that the situation with Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan further questions Nigeria’s rule of law and the abuse of power within our legislative arm, lamenting that despite a court order and the expiration of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month suspension, the National Assembly has continued to bar her from resuming her duties, citing a pending appeal.
Mamedu said this refusal to adhere to a judicial pronouncement is a clear example of legislative impunity, and it disenfranchises the entire Kogi Central Senatorial District. He added that it is a deeply unsettling precedent that suggests political institutions can act as they please, with little regard for the checks and balances designed to protect the rights of citizens and their elected representatives.
He stressed that this deliberate obstruction of a lawmaker’s mandate is not just an attack on an individual; it is an assault on the core tenets of representative democracy and a clear message that dissent will not be tolerated, even when it is legally sanctioned.
He said: “As we confront these domestic challenges, we must draw lessons from global trends, particularly from the Gen Z-led movement for accountability and democratic reform in Nepal. Angered by systemic corruption and a lavish political elite, Nepalese youth took to the streets in 2025, demanding a government that serves the people rather than itself. Their digitally powered protests, which saw the use of social media platforms like TikTok and Telegram for mobilisation, culminated in the resignation of the Prime Minister and a push for a new political order. This movement is a powerful reminder that a digitally-native generation is no longer content with the status quo. They are demanding transparency, accountability, and a genuine say in whom their leaders are. For Nigeria’s democracy to thrive, it must empower its youth and engage with their demands for good governance, for it is this generation that will either inherit a broken system or build a more equitable one.”
He said on this International Day of Democracy, ActionAid Nigeria calls on all tiers of government and stakeholders, including the judiciary, civil society, and every Nigerian citizen, to demonstrate a renewed commitment to accountability. We demand the immediate reinstatement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to her senatorial seat in compliance with the Federal High Court’s judgment. The Presidency must be held accountable by refraining from actions that undermine federalism, as seen in the Rivers State crisis.
He added that: “The National Assembly must also be held accountable by playing its role of check and balance on the Executive arm. Furthermore, we call for the swift passage of electoral reform legislation, including provisions for electronic transmission of results, to ensure our electoral process is transparent and accountable. We also call on our Judiciary to actually be the hope of the common man and be bold and quick in giving judgements on issues that are of national interest and have bearing on interpretation of our constitution, like the case of the ability of the President to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State and remove an elected Governor and serving State House of Assembly Members.
International Day of Democracy/ ActionAid Nigeria Demands Good Governance
NAF airstrikes neutralise bandit hideout in Chikun in Kaduna
By: Zagazola Makama
Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft have carried out a precision strike on a notorious bandit hideout in Kunti, within Sohon Gaya community of Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
Zagazola learnt that the operation followed credible intelligence reports of heightened bandit activities in the axis, with the criminals reportedly wielding sophisticated weapons, including assault rifles and heavy-calibre arms.
Sources confirmed that at about 1200hrs, two NAF helicopters were sighted conducting the successful strike on the location, which had been a source of terror to the surrounding communities.
In the aftermath of the air interdiction, friendly ground troops arrived the target area in Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to secure the location, assess battle damage and mop up fleeing elements of the bandits.
The timely synergy between air and ground components ensured effective neutralisation of the threats while also restoring confidence among residents of Sohon Gaya community.
NAF airstrikes neutralise bandit hideout in Chikun in Kaduna
Hilda Baci Concludes GWR Jollof Rice Attempt, Awaits Confirmation
By Halima Abdulkadiri
Celebrity chef Hilda Baci on Saturday successfully wrapped up her ambitious bid to set a new Guinness World Record (GWR) for the largest pot of jollof rice.
The reports gathered that Baci cooked approximately 200 bags of rice in a massive 22,619-litre pot, which measured six metres in both width and height. The cooking process lasted about nine hours.
She now awaits official confirmation from Guinness World Records on whether her feat will be certified as a new world record.
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