President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the constitution of National Food Security Council’s membership.
Malam Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, made the announcement in a statement in Abuja on Friday.
According to Shehu, the council, to be chaired by the president will be inaugurated on March 19 and will have as members, the governors of Kebbi, Taraba, Plateau, Lagos, Ebonyi and Delta.
Other members of the council would the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; the Chief of Staff to the President; the National Security Adviser and seven ministers.
“The ministers to be represented are for Agriculture and Rural Development; Finance; Interior; Industry, Trade and Investment; Water Resources; Environment and Budget and National Planning.’’
Other people named in the council are the Chief of Defence Staff; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); directors-general of the Department of State Services and the National Intelligence Agency as well as the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service.
The objectives of the council include developing sustainable solutions to herdsmen invasions; climate change and desertification; appraise the impact of the issues on farmland; grazing areas and lakes, rivers and other water bodies.
Other are oil spillage and its impact on Niger Delta fishing communities and agricultural research institutions and extension services; take interest in regional and global policies and trends that bear implications for food security in Nigeria as well as address the problem of smuggling, piracy and banditry.
