….Launches Food Stamp Card Initiative
In a significant move to address food insecurity, the House Committee on Agriculture, in collaboration with the
National food stamp program
and National social safety net coordinating office NASSCO)
National Conveners for Food Nigeria,
has unveiled the Food Stamp Card initiative.
The program, launched last Thursday is aimed to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda to eliminate hunger in Nigeria.
The initiative is seeking to provide essential support to the poor and vulnerable, ensuring access to nutritious food.
Hon. Kelechi Nwobo has asked the State Government to key into food stamps card programme as a measure to cushion the effect of hunger and food crisis in the country.
It also urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to liaise with development partners and other relevant stakeholders, especially the food stamp card Initiative, that has been lunched today.
Food stamps is a supplemented nutrition assisted programme which will provide food-purchasing assistance for low- and no-income people in helping them to maintain adequate nutrition and good health.
Hon.Kelechi Nwodo further noted that the introduction of the programme had become necessary “with a view to working out practicable templates and implementable modalities for the actualisation of the projects.”
Mr. Adegboyega Aladesanmi, Convener for Food Stamp, emphasized the primary goal of the initiative, Saying that the focus is to reach the poor and vulnerable, providing them with access to healthy food. He urge state governors to take advantage of this program to support those in need within their communities.
Prince Adegboyega, futher said at the unveiling of the October 2024 Cadre Harmonisé Analysis on food insecurity, it was projected that in 2024, Nigeria is expected to see about 26.5 million people, grappling with high level of food insecurity.
He said, “The reason for the above projection is not far-fetched, as several indicators, which include but not limited to the ongoing conflicts across the country, climate change impacts, escalating inflation as witnessed in recent time, and rising costs of both food and essential non-food commodities, due to fall in value of Naira in exchange market.”
He expressed worry that many hungry and angry Nigerians have been ventilating their frustration and anger over the recent increase in food prices.
The convener pointed out that “in other countries, like the United States of America, Food Stamp which is a government-issued coupon that is given to low-income and n
Martins Onakpoma, Convener of “Make We Go Farm,” praised the initiative, highlighting its potential impact, stating that it will be a game-changer for Nigeria.
He added that the clamour for wage increase and work support cannot alone guarantee a more effective way of addressing food insecurity without the introduction and launching of time-tested public assistance programme,
Mr Martine expressed himself futher by saying there is no better time for this programme than now, adding that identifying vulnerable people in each state has always been a problem but that the food stamps will help.
Onapoma said the executive should ensure that only those who need the food get it, insisting that the programme needs to start immediately.
“Structures are grown to help in the distribution of the food stamps,” he said.
