Nigeria will host key players in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries to address security challenges that hindered farming and agricultural production in the ECOWAS countries, official has said.
Amb. Felix Ihonre, the Director-General, ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the Preparatory/Inter-ministerial meeting on the festival in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival is scheduled to be held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State from October 6 to 11, 2024.
Ihonre said that the festival would bring together key players in the food security and security structure to proffer solutions to security challenges that hindered farming and agricultural production in Nigeria and other West African countries.I
“Nigeria being the host of the ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival scheduled to be held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State from Oct. 6 to Oct. 11, 2024 has a lot to gain in areas of tourism, sustainable development, cultural integration, poverty alleviation, youth employment, women in agriculture.
“The essence of having the festival is for a high level governments’ policies advocacy and high level commitment from the governments within the ECOWAS sub region.
“We are stimulating from all sectors of the economy to ensure that once there is synergy among key players, the issues of insecurity, hunger, malnutrition, and issue of eradicating violence within agricultural territory and environment will be addressed.”
The EFCF boss said once the government was able to stop the violence in various communities, farmers would go to farms without molestation or harassment.
According to him, when the farmers go to farms and are able to cultivate crops and grains in a right time and in a right place without molestation or harassment, I believe that there will be enough and affordable food on our tables.
“We are welcoming to Uyo from October 6 to 11, 2024, the delegates from 16 member-countries of ECOWAS, delegates from around the world, heads of states and governments that will be coming to Abuja, as well as Uyo to grace the occasion.”
The director-general said activities such as golf tournament, train carnival, Miss ECOWAS Beauty Pageant and others had been outlined for the festival.
“We are having activities in the area of golf tournament. We will be having a flow train carnival and men and youth forum.
We will be having a forum of local government chairmen, permanent secretaries of MDAs as well as directors.
“We will be having the Miss ECOWAS Beauty Pageant which is going to showcase ECOWAS beauty as well as their costumes. So, a lot of activities will take place in Uyo and there will be a lot of food and cuisines.”
He said the theme of the upcoming ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festive titled “Celebrating African Cultural Heritage for Peace and Development” was apt because there could be no development in an atmosphere of rancour and conflict.
Ekpa Francis of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) said OSGF supported the upcoming festival because it had to do with peace and development for the country.
“The director-general, ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival is being welcome to OSGF, having shared all what they have as far as ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival is concern.
“The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume, is a listening type, having identified that they have a good programme for the country,” Francis said
“The SGF has resolved that since the festival is all about peace and development and also in line with Mr President’s Renew Hope Agenda, it is always a welcome development.” (NAN)
