By Olukayode Idowu
The United States has committed $55 million towards food security relief for Nigerians.
A statement by US Embassy in Nigeria on Wednesday said this is part of President Biden’s recent pledge at the G-7 Leader’s Summit in Germany and it is aimed at protecting the most vulnerable nations from an escalating global food crisis.
The statement said the fund would be administered through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under its agriculture, nutrition, and humanitarian assistance programmes (and subject to Congressional approval).
The statement further said the funds will help immediately address the economic, food and nutrition needs of vulnerable communities in Nigeria most adversely impacted by higher food, fuel, and fertilizer prices.
According to the statement, the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard has reaffirmed the commitment of the United States and the American people to improving the economic well-being and food security of all Nigerians.
Leonard said: “The United States is committed to mitigating the adverse effect of the current global food crisis on the people of Nigeria. We strongly support Nigeria’s economic prosperity and well-being, and our decades-long partnership with the Nigerian government, the private sector, and NGO community to address the country’s most urgent development and humanitarian needs. We empathize with the hardships and suffering of Nigerian citizens that have been exacerbated as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its negative impact on food security, and we fully expect President Biden’s initiative will significantly soften the blow of these war-related international price shocks.”
The statement revealed that with this funding initiative, U.S. total investment internationally in combating the global food security crisis since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will reach over $5.6 billion, stressing that the United States will use every tool available to address the humanitarian and long-term impacts of Russia’s war and other such shocks on global food security and nutrition.