The World Food Programme (WFP) has spent about $95 million on procurement of locally produced grains for its emergency food intervention programme in the North-Eastern region of Nigeria. This was disclosed by the WFP’s Executive Director, David Beasley during his visit to Maiduguri in a statement released on September 7. Beasley said that the organisation had also injected $212 million into the Nigerian economy through its cash transfer scheme, designed to provide food and nutritional support to displaced persons in the region. He said that the figure also covered cost of transportation, local salaries and other miscellaneous expenditures.
Beasley, however, warned that the overall situation remained extremely worrying as the lean season between June and September worsened malnutrition in many places.
He said that some of the challenges militating against the organisation’s ability to reach remote areas were insecurity, bad roads and no backup at the Lagos Port. According to him, these challenges militate against the organisation’s ability to reach remote areas to deliver specialised nutritional supplements to children and deserving families.
The WFP boss commended the Nigerian Government and humanitarian organisations over their support and commitment to address the humanitarian crisis in the region. During his visit, Beasley also met with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Borno State Deputy Governor Usman Durkwa as well as with community leaders and nursing mothers at the NYSC Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Maiduguri.
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