Nigeria borrowed a total of 5,000 metric tonnes of assorted grains from the food stock of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) according to the Federal Government.
This was disclosed on Sunday by Mustapha Baba-Shehuri, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development. He made this known while receiving the 3,999 tonnes of cereals donated to the Federal Government by ECOWAS with its donors and financial partners according to Punch.
The minister received the 3,999 tonnes of cereals on behalf of the Federal Government at the Hotoro Grain Depot, in Kano State.
He said that contract agreement between ECOWAS and the ministry’s Department of Food and Strategic Reserve was signed on July 7, 2017.
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However, it is unclear when this grains were borrowed, although the Minister’s statement that “Modalities had been put in place to replace the ECOWAS stock before the advent of COVID-19 pandemic” suggests that the grains where borrowed prior to Covid-19 Pandemic.
The minister said, “The government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria loaned 5,000MT of assorted grains from ECOWAS stock which was agreed to be paid back on grain for grain basis
“Modalities had been put in place to replace the ECOWAS stock before the advent of COVID-19 pandemic. That notwithstanding, I can assure you that the stock will be replaced in due course.”
He said the donation by ECOWAS would be used to support the most vulnerable populations to help mitigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
On August 8, 2017, – 1,130 tons of cereals were donated by ECOWAS in Maiduguri, North-East of Nigeria.
About ECOWAS Regional Food Security Reserve (RFSR)
At their Forty-Second Ordinary Session held in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, on February 28, 2013, the Heads of State and Government of West Africa established the Regional Food Security Reserve (RFSR) through Additional Act to the ECOWAS Revised Treaty as the third line of defense for preventing and managing food crises.
It is designed to:
- Complement efforts of member States to provide rapid and diversified food and nutrition assistance
- Express regional solidarity with member States and populations affected by a food crisis through transparent, fair and predictable mechanisms and
- Contribute to food sovereignty and political, economic and commercial integration of West Africa.
The operationalization of this Reserve began at the end of 2015 with the implementation of the Food Security Storage Support Project in West Africa funded by the European Union amounting to € 56 million.
Written by;
Ifunanya Ikueze
