The Kogi state government on Thursday reiterated its commitment to reduce hunger, poverty, as well as increase food production in the state.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr David Apeh, gave the reassurance in Lokoja, at an event to mark this year’s World Food Day whose theme is: “Our Actions Are Our Future” .

The event was jointly organised by the state Ministry of Agriculture, ActionAid Nigeria and Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID).

Apeh said that the state government had sustained the payment of its counterpart funds to development partners and donor agencies’ interventions in the agriculture sector.

“The prompt payment of counterpart funding to international donor agencies, is to ensure and promote food security in the state”, he said.

The commissioner said that the state’s agriculture sector had gone through a rewarding transformation, such that the government would continue to accord priority to the sector.

In her goodwill message to the event, state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Fatima Buba enjoined more women in the state to go into agriculture.

Buba, who commended Gov. Yahaya Bello’s ongoing effort at revamping agriculture in the state, also thanked ActionAid Nigeria for sponsoring this year’s World Food Day celebrations in Kogi.

Hajia Safiya Yahaya, Kogi state Coordinator and National Auditor-General of Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON) also thanked the governor for encouraging women and youths.

Yahaya urged the government to ensure that the N100 million budgetary allocation earmarked for women in the state was released to them.

Earlier, in her opening remarks, Ms Halima Sadiq, Executive Director, PIBCID, said that the event was her organisation’s commitment to ensuring food security in the state.

“We celebrate this day to appreciate efforts by small holder farmers, especially Women in Agriculture, who against all odds, including the COVID-19 pandemic, ensured a reduction in world hunger.

“This activity is aimed at creating global awareness and challenges of malnutrition, as a result of sufferings from hunger and to further encourage nutrition sensitive Agriculture for citizens’ health and wellbeing given that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation”, she said.