By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
Minister of Environment Balarabe Lawal has launched the 50×2030 survey initiative, a World Bank and FAO led global agriculture and climate statistics programme aimed at boosting food security.
He launched the programme on Thursday at 50×2030 survey program workshop organised by the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project in collaboration with the World Bank.
Lawal said that 50×2030’s objectives are to bridge agricultural data gaps and promote evidence-informed decision making by developing a fit-for-purpose, integrated and financially sustainable agricultural survey program.
He expressed optimism that the 50×2030 initiative will meet the country’s data needs and foster a culture of data use for decision-making.
“50×2030 Initiative is a World Bank and FAO led global agriculture and climate statistics programme working in minimising data gap, building national statistics systems and promoting evidence-informed agriculture in 50 low, lower-middle and middle-income countries around the world by the year 2030.
“In Nigeria, 50×2030 Initiative will work closely with the ACReSAL team, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)
in designing and implementing climate and agriculture focused survey program in all 36 states and FCT.
“The survey will incorporate an ACReSAL specific module to track progress and inform decisions. Data from the survey programme will inform national programming and policies in the agriculture sector and will inform climate change policies,” the minister said.
National Project Coordinator of the ACReSAL Project, Abdulhamid Umar said that 50 countries, members of the world Bank are part of the programme.
“The initiative is to provide strength and capacity for those nations to enable them capture and gather reliable data from the agric site, in order words to ensure food security in the nation.The project is also to reach out to 36 states and the FCT,” Umar said.
Vinay Vutukuru, Social Development Leader World Bank said that the project would address the impacts of climate change and food insecurity in Nigeria through data-smart agriculture.
Mr Koffy Kouacou Dominque Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) Representative in Nigeria and to ECOWAS said that 50×2030 Survey which is aims at bridging the agricultural data gap and
build strong national data systems that will produce and use high quality, timely agricultural survey
data in Nigeria.
Dominque who was represented by Tofiq Braimah Officer that FAO is committed to
continue this effort to make sure adequate capacity is built at national level to sustain the production of agricultural statistics in Nigeria.
“This effort will be designed in such a way that National Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security will be in the driving seat of this data production to make sure that the technical assistance provided in this 50×2030 initiative is sustained.
“With this collaboration, data
on core agricultural variables as well as Income and labour productivity, production methods and environment as well as use of machineries and equipment will be collected to regularly avail data on
agriculture.
“50×2030 Partnership:Once again, FAO in collaboration with the World Bank team, is on board to
assist the NBS and Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in implementing the 50×2030 approach to have an annual agricultural survey in Nigeria for the next five years,” he said.
Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, who was represented by Mr Oshadiya Olanipekun, Director, Lands and Climate Management Services lauded the World Bank for the initiative, saying it would unlock the potentials of the agriculture sector and foster economy growth.
Mr Yemi Adeniran Statistician General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the NBS said that the launch of this initiative marks the beginning of the significant partnership between ACReSAL and NBS which would facilitate the production of agriculture and climate related data in Nigeria till 2030.
