By Emeka Nwokocha
Foremost Food Right advocate in Nigeria, Environmental and Rural Mediation Centre (ENVIRUMEDIC), in collaboration with Delta State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MANR), with support from ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), on Thursday 22 October, organised an impactful agriculture-centred discourse, tagged: “SWOFON Interactive Forum With MDAs,” at Orchid hotel, Asaba, to round off its activities in commemoration of 2025 World Food Day.
SWOFON Coordinator, Delta State, Mrs. Grace Osadjoku, presenting SWOFON Charter of Demand to Olomukoro Ajiri, General Manager, DAPA
The Senior Program Officer at ENVIRUMEDIC, Mr. Lucky Enegide, in his presentation on the overview and objective of the forum, said, “The forum will provide an avenue for smallholder women farmers to interact with duty bearers and key stakeholders in the agriculture sector and push for their participation and involvement in agriculture policies and programmes in Delta State; advocate for an increase in budgetary allocation to priority areas that support smallholder women farmers; and create space for Small Scale Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria (SWOFON) to present their demand to key government officials and policy makers.”
Chief Executive Officer of ENVIRUMEDIC, Chief Monday Itoghor making a presentation at the event
In his address and presentation, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ENVIRUMEDIC, Chief Monday Itoghor, spoke on the importance of World Food Day, globally commemorated on 16th October every year, stating that it aims to promote global unity and inspire is a collective action to achieve food security in line with goal 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Senior Program Officer at ENVIRUMEDIC, Mr. Lucky Enegide, making a presentation at the event
He said, “The theme of the World Food Day: emphasizes the importance of global cooperation in building a peaceful, sustainable, and prosperous food-secure future,” stressing the importance of sustained collaboration among stakeholders, including government, farmers, business, scientists, consumers, CSOs, and communities to ensure everyone has access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food.
“To domesticate the theme of this year’s World Food Day, this forum is aimed to celebrate with stakeholders and build collaborations towards initiating innovations and creating awareness to promote food right by tackling the challenges besetting the agriculture sector,” Itoghor stated.
He added, “The interaction will provide solution to inherent challenges in the agriculture sector focusing on the gaps that makes people not to afford food; the gaps that make people not to have access to food rich in nutrients; and why it is difficult to process safe and healthy food.
According to Itoghor, solidarity and shared responsibility, sustainable agriculture, fair food distribution, responsible consumption, partnership and collaboration are key components of the theme of the World Food Day, adding that, “The ultimate goal is to ensure that everyone has access to nutritious food; food systems are sustainable and equitable; communities can thrive; farmers can prosper; and the planet is protected for future generations.”
To achieve this goal, Itoghor recommended the need to promote knowledge around agroecology to stem the rising harmful practice in growing and preserving food such as use of chemicals, strengthen the role of government towards promoting food security and healthy farming practice.
He further stated the need to address post-harvest losses, increase budgetary allocations to agriculture, create storage facilities, and support small holders farmers and other cluster of farmers to improve their productivity through sustained provision of inputs, processing facilities and storage facilities.
In his goodwill remark, Mr. Kazeem Abdulazeez of Federal Ministry of Agriculture commended ENVIRUMEDIC and its partners for organising the session stating that when solutions are proffered, society would be better and Nigeria would move away from poverty and there would be food security.
Also, Mrs. Grace Osadjoku, Coordinator, SWOFON, Delta State commended ENVIRUMEDIC for organising the event, stating that members of SWOFON have benefitted in numerous ways from ENVIRUMEDIC’s programmes, advocacy and projects that promote small-holders women farmers’ productivity over the years.
Other stakeholders, Mr. Christopher Aghuno of the Nigeria Cassava Growers Association, Mr. Conrad Ajeboh, Deputy Director, Agric Service Department, Ministry of Agriculture & Natural Resources (MANR), Mr. Ndubuisi Osy, Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), and Mr. Conrad Ajeboh, Deputy Director, Agric Service Department, Ministry of Agriculture & Natural Resources (MANR), expressed the importance of collaboration among agriculture stakeholders in tackling food insecurity in Nigeria, even as they emphasized the need to strengthen government policies to promote desired growth and development in the agriculture sector towards achieving food security.
The highpoints of the event were a brainstorming section that articulated the challenges in the agriculture sector and proffered measures to address them, and presentation of Charter of Demand by SWOFON to critical government agencies in the agriculture sector.
The participants of the event were drawn drawn from critical stakeholders in the agriculture sector, including Mr. Ambrose Nwabuzor of Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Ms. Olomukoro Ajiri, General Manager, DAPA Ltd, Ms. Abigail Eseadi, DTHA, Miss Patience Egiuwakpogere, Young Farmers Association, Evwreni, Mrs. Grace Osadjoku, Coordinator, SWOFON, Delta State, Mr. Christopher Aghuno, Nigeria Cassava Growers Association/All Farmers Association, Mr. Conrad Ajeboh, Deputy Director, Agric Service Department and Ministry of Agriculture & Natural Resources (MANR), Mr. Ndubuisi Osy,.
Others are Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), Mr. Charles Conweh, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr. Emmanuel Enebeli, Executive Director of Bel Media Consult and publisher of Ndokwa Reporters Newspaper, Pst. Maxwell Unosha, Special Assistant (SA) to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, on Special Duties, Comrade Emeka Nwokocha, veteran journalist, Women Groups, and a host of other personalities.
