The 2023 World Food Day celebration holds immense significance for Nuru Nigeria and its partners, particularly the ACT Foundation. This event underscores the global imperative of food, echoing this year's theme: "Water is life, water is food, leave no one behind."

During the recently concluded World Food Day celebration organized by Nuru Nigeria at Duragi Hotels Limited event Hall in Yola, Amy Gaman, the Executive Director of Nuru Nigeria, highlighted the organization's efforts.

She stated that Nuru Nigeria brought together stakeholders from various sectors, placing special emphasis on farmers who are deemed as "the backbone of our daily sustenance."

"In this gathering, we have brought together people from different sector just to ensure that we have left no one behind especially the farmers who produce our daily food that we consume."

"They are here so that they can engage at a higher level with the government, with other NGOs, also with the educational institution to have a clearer understanding of what inclusively-led agricultural economic growth is all about ."

The aim was according to the Nuru boss was to engage in discussions and find viable solutions to enhance food security in Nigeria.

Through the ACT Foundation, according to Gaman, they have empowered approximately 36,000 individuals across Hong, Gomia, and Michika local governments with agronomic training and advanced technologies with emphasis on connecting farmers with external markets which has strengthened the agricultural value chain, especially the crucial processing roles played by women.

"From seed selections, from how to manage their farms, and all of those, to the market system also we stand as a bridge between the farmers and the external Market"

"We don't encourage them selling at the farm gate we encourage them to sell to producers so that the value chain can be complete and they should be able to use their Collective by bargaining power as a Cooperative to go and also acquire seats you know.

These efforts have led to a positive transformation, with women farmers experiencing growth in resources, leadership, household income, and rights according to the Executive Director of Nuru Nigeria.

Amy Gaman added;

"Another aspect of this project that is key, is the processing element, ACT Foundation has been able to provide for some communities under the Nuru Nigeria project threshers and the oil pressing machine which has helped in strengthening elements of the Agricultural value chain especially the processing work that are done by women"

"70% of the farmers in the community we serve are women and no wonder they are 72% of the representation of our Farmers group," Gaman said.

With these efforts, they now have a more prominent voice in decision-making processes as the project is about community-driven progress across the agricultural value chain, as rural communities produce 80% of the food we consume, Gaman revealed.

The panel discussion with the Commissioner of Agriculture of Adamawa state is a testament to the potential for collaboration between the government and farmers.

The inputs the government plans to provide, particularly irrigation inputs, further underscore this cooperative effort. We strive for sustainability, promoting direct communication and accountability between government and the people, especially in agricultural development.

"From this discussion there is already a marriage between the government and the farmers you know with the inputs irrigation inputs that the government is going to provide for them, however, we don't want to reinvent the will on policy we don't want to reinvent the will on approaches that we use we just want to encourage the sustainability, we want to encourage direct access, direct communication and accountability between government and the people especially when it comes to agricultural development," Amy Gaman concluded.

The challenges we face in ensuring water security and equitable access to food are complex but surmountable. Together, through science, innovation, and partnerships, we can create effective solutions and secure a brighter future for all.