From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The United States, has said it will commit additional $55 million in emergency funds to Nigeria’s food security.
The United States Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria, in a statement issued in Abuja, said: “The U.S. will invest an additional $55 million in food security relief for Nigerians as part of President Biden’s recent pledge at the G-7 Leader’s Summit in Germany to protect the most vulnerable nations from an escalating global food crisis.”
The funds which will administered through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under its agriculture, nutrition, and humanitarian assistance programs, subject to Congressional approval, will help immediately address the economic, food and nutrition needs of vulnerable communities in Nigeria most adversely impacted by higher food, fuel, and fertilizer prices.
Following the announcement, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, reaffirmed the commitment of the United States and the American people to improving the economic well-being and food security of all Nigerians.
“The United States is committed to mitigating the adverse effect of the current global food crisis on the people of Nigeria. We strongly support Nigeria’s economic prosperity and well-being, and our decades-long partnership with the Nigerian government, the private sector, and NGO community to address the country’s most urgent development and humanitarian needs. We empathize with the hardships and suffering of Nigerian citizens that have been exacerbated as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its negative impact on food security, and we fully expect President Biden’s initiative will significantly soften the blow of these war-related international price shocks,” Leonard said.
The United States Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria further said with the funding initiative, the United States’ total investment internationally in combating the global food security crisis since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will reach over $5.6 billion.
“The United States will use every tool available to address the humanitarian and long-term impacts of Russia’s war and other such shocks on global food security and nutrition,” the United States Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria also said.