The United States on Wednesday said it will invest an additional $55 million in food security relief for Nigerians as part of President Joe Biden’s recent pledge at the G-7 Leaders’ Summit in Germany.
According to a press release by the US Embassy in Nigeria, the fund is to protect the most vulnerable nations from an escalating global food crisis and will be administered through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) under its agriculture, nutrition, and humanitarian assistance programme.
This is, however, subject to congressional approval.
“The funds 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,” it said.
Commenting on the proposed investment, US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, said “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.”
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She added that the US empathises with the hardships and suffering of Nigerian citizens which has been exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its negative impact on global food security.
“We fully expect President Biden’s initiative will significantly soften the blow of these war-related international price shocks,” Ms Leonard said.
Chiamaka Okafor is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.
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