EU, Nigeria to Establish Joint Task Force on Food Crisis

The Federal Government and the European Union (EU) have agreed to establish a joint task force to tackle Nigeria’s worsening food crisis, particularly in the North East and North West regions.

The decision was reached on Monday, during a meeting between the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, and the EU delegation led by Ambassador Gautier Mignot at the Ministry in Abuja.

Professor Yilwatda described the EU’s visit as timely, coming as the government scales up efforts to address hunger among displaced populations.

“We are committed to working closely with the EU and other partners to reduce the humanitarian burden and lift our people out of poverty,” he said.

Ambassador Mignot reiterated the EU’s concern over Nigeria’s food insecurity crisis.

“We are here to explore practical ways to support victims in the IDP camps and ensure that food gets to those who need it most,” he stated.

The meeting resulted in five key decisions: the establishment of a joint task force to define roles and responsibilities; a rapid review of budgets to facilitate swift interventions; the simplification of waiver processes for essential supplies to tackle supply chain bottlenecks; the conduct of a comprehensive food situation assessment, potentially involving ECOWAS and other regional bodies; and the mobilisation of greater international support to complement government efforts.

Professor Yilwatda noted that these measures would

“streamline response mechanisms and reduce bureaucratic hurdles.”

The EU pledged to continue supporting Nigeria’s fight against hunger and poverty.