The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, has said 15 percent of residents in the territory face food insecurity.
Adesola, who said a food security assessment survey conducted in 62 wards in the territory by the Department of Policy, Planning, Research and Statistics of the Agricultural and Rural Development Secretariat, provided the data, decried the alarming rate at which people are migrating to the FCT.
The permanent secretary, represented by Mr Atang Samuel, Director, Office of the Permanent Secretary (OPS), made the disclosure at the 8th Regular Meeting of the FCT Council on Agriculture and Rural Development held yesterday in Abuja.
Adesola said the theme: Evolving Ensuring Strategies towards Commercialisation of Agriculture for Economic Empowerment to Mitigate the Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic and Promote Sustainable Food Security was apt, considering the outcome of the food security survey.
He said the FCTA was determined to change the narrative since the territory is endowed with rich and vast arable land and water resources that could be harnessed towards improving the livelihood of residents.
He added that the administration through its relevant agencies would continue to implement innovative programmes to address areas of critical needs of smallholder farmers while exploring avenues to showcase the viable investment opportunities that exist in the sector.
Also speaking, Mr Ibe Chukwuemeka, the acting secretary of the secretariat, assured of efforts to reposition the agricultural sector to harness the potential and overcome food insecurity.
