Nigeria will host key players in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries to address security challenges that hindered farming and agricultural production in the ECOWAS countries, an official of the regional body has said.
The Director-General of ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival, Ambassador Felix Ihonre, announced this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the preparatory/inter-ministerial meeting on the festival in Abuja.
NAN reports that the ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival is scheduled to be held in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, from October 6 to 11.
Ihonre said the festival would bring together key players in the food security and security structure to proffer solutions to security challenges that hindered farming and agricultural production in Nigeria and other ECOWAS countries.
“Nigeria, being the host of the ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival scheduled to be held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State from October 6 to October 11, 2024, has a lot to gain in areas of tourism, sustainable development, cultural integration, poverty alleviation, youth employment, women in agriculture.
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“The essence of having the festival is for a high-level governments’ policies advocacy and high-level commitment from the governments within the ECOWAS sub-region.
“We are stimulating from all sectors of the economy to ensure that once there is synergy among key players, the issues of insecurity, hunger, malnutrition, and issue of eradicating violence within agricultural territory and environment will be addressed,” he said.
The EFCF boss explained that once the government was able to stop the violence in various communities, farmers would go to farms without molestation or harassment.
According to him, when the farmers go to farms and are able to cultivate crops and grains at the right time and in the right place without molestation or harassment, there will be enough and affordable food on citizens’ tables.
“We are welcoming you to Uyo from October 6 to 11, the delegates from 16 member-countries of ECOWAS, delegates from around the world, heads of states and governments that will come to Abuja, as well as Uyo to grace the occasion,” Ihonre said.
The director general listed the activities expected during the event to include golf tournament, train carnival, Miss ECOWAS Beauty Pageant.
“We are having activities in the area of golf tournament. We will be having a flow train carnival and men and youth forum.
We will be having a forum of local government chairmen, permanent secretaries of MDAs as well as directors.
“We will be having the Miss ECOWAS Beauty Pageant, which is going to showcase ECOWAS beauty, as well as their costumes. So, a lot of activities will take place in Uyo and there will be a lot of food and cuisines,” he added.
Ihonre announced the theme of the festive as: Celebrating African Cultural Heritage for Peace and Development, saying this was apt as there could be no development in an atmosphere of rancour and conflict.
Ekpa Francis of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) said the office supported the upcoming festival because it has to do with peace and development for the country.
“The director general of ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival is being welcome to OSGF, having shared all that they have as far as ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival is concerned.
“The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, is a listening person, having identified that they have a good programme for the country.
“The SGF has resolved that since the festival is all about peace and development and in line with Mr. President’s Renew Hope Agenda, it is always a welcome development,” Francis said.