Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday identified education and skills development as panacea for poverty and hunger.
Shettima spoke during a meeting with a delegation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, led by the President of its Global Growth & Opportunity Division, Mr. Rodger Voorhies, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to a statement issued by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, the vice president underscored the impact of climate change on agricultural productivity and the urgent need to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices to ensure food security for Nigeria’s growing population.
He urged the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to forge a strategic partnership with the Nigerian government to enhance agricultural productivity, improved nutrition and strengthen the education sector.
The vice president also charged the Foundation to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s gender empowerment initiatives, noting that the programmes which are focused on the girl child are critical to Nigeria’s drive to alleviate poverty.
Shettima expressed appreciation for the foundation’s significant contributions to Nigeria, particularly in the areas of polio eradication and primary healthcare delivery.
Highlighting the need for continued support in the agricultural sector, he said: “We are investing heavily in agricultural innovation and best agricultural practices to enhance productivity. However, we need the expertise and resources of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate our progress.
Shettima stressed the importance of education and skills development in addressing poverty and hunger, just as he urged the foundation to collaborate with the Nigerian government in expanding access to quality education and further provide opportunities for skills development, particularly in the agricultural sector.
“By the end of the century, we are projected to be the most populous nation on earth. This demographic bulge can be transformed into a dividend or a disaster. Investing in education and skills development is crucial for ensuring that our growing population becomes a source of strength and not a burden.”
Reiterating his call for a strong partnership between the Nigerian government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Shettima expressed confidence that such a partnership could yield transformative results in addressing Nigeria’s agricultural, nutritional, and educational challenges, paving the way for a more prosperous and sustainable future for the nation.
“If a nation is not independent in food production, it remains a dependent nation. So, I am soliciting your partnership and attention. Join us in our drive towards combating poverty and hunger in sub-Saharan Africa as you did in Southeast Asia,” he added.
Mr Voorhies said he and his team were in the country to strengthen existing collaborations with Nigeria and also seek other areas of partnership with the new administration especially in priority sectors.
He commended the Tinubu administration’s agenda on food security and healthcare delivery while acknowledging the VP’s leadership and commitment to nutrition and agricultural transformation.
Voorhies assured of the foundation’s commitment and readiness to support efforts aimed at achieving set goals and objectives.
At the meeting were Jeremie Zoungrana, outgoing Country Director of the Foundation; Uche Amaonwu, Interim Country Director; Chief of Staff, Nutrition, Carol Welch; Senior Programme Officer, Agriculture, Audu Grema and Senior Programme Officer, Policy and Advocacy, Katja Schiller Nwator.
