By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – THE Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security had moved to partner with West African Virus Epidemiology Project (WAVE), to combat and control crop diseases in order to boost food and nutrition security. 

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Aliyu Abdullahi, stated this during a familiarization visit by the WAVE delegation led by the Deputy Executive Director, Prof.  Angela Obiageli Eni, in Abuja.  

Abdullahi said the partnership has become imperative based on the threat and impact of diseases on food crops, and this has over the years affected food production and farmers’ productivity, saying the meeting is vital and strategic.

He reaffirmed that the Ministry remains resilient and committed to working closely with WAVE and other relevant stakeholders to revalidate critical policy documents and mainstream them into international frameworks of governance for effective implementation.

He also called on the Ministry’s Department of Plant Health and Pest Control to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with WAVE in order to synergize and form a strong frontier to tackle the diseases affecting crops. Including strengthening of institutional processes.

He said: “The relevant documents and frameworks should undergo national validation to ensure inclusiveness, ownership, and alignment with Nigeria’s agricultural priorities.”

However, the Minister of State stressed that it important to bring researchers, scientists, and economists on board to support evidence-based policies and sustainable strategies capable of addressing emerging agricultural and food security challenges.

In her presentation, the Deputy Executive Director of WAVE, Prof. Angela Obiageli Eni, highlighted the organization’s role in strengthening early warning systems and preparedness for the management of transboundary plant pathogens.

Prof Eni further stated that the proposed platform is expected to leverage the existing nationwide cassava viral disease epidemiological dataset developed under the WAVE initiative to support plant health surveillance and food security in Nigeria 

Earlier, in her welcome address, the Director, Department of Plant Health and Pest Control, Mrs. Grace Iwendi, said that the engagement would focus on strengthening collaboration towards the establishment of a national plant disease monitoring and rapid response database for Nigeria.