Nigeria has secured a $600,000 relief fund and commitments from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support flood relief efforts and reforms in the health and agricultural sectors.
Specifically, the Foundation pledged the $600,000 for flood relief in Borno State and other health sector initiatives with an additional $5 million grant approved for Lagos Business School and partners to develop the agricultural economics of industrial cassava.
The donation was announced when Vice President Kashim Shettima held a meeting with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation led by its head of Global Development Programme, Dr Christopher Elias, on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Shettima, reaffirmed the commitment of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to placing health, nutrition, and agricultural development at the forefront of nation’s national agenda.
In a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said: “we are deeply committed to addressing the pressing developmental challenges facing our nation, particularly the significant malnutrition crisis”.
He emphasized the Federal Government’s dedication to integrity and effective leadership in tackling these issues, pointing out that there is an urgency in securing locations for maize production under the Telemaze programme
Promising swift action on import permits for certified seeds, the VP said, “We recognize the critical importance of food security and industrial agricultural development. The Cassava Accelerator programme, in particular, holds immense potential for our economy.