Teddy Oscar, Abuja
The deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, has assured Nigerians of the support of the National Assembly on the quest for food security and diversification of the economy of the country through promotion of a robust agro-allied sector.
Ihedioha, who spoke at the 37th annual conference and general meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST) which held in Abuja, explained why the National Assembly is backing the quest.
“Any nation that cannot feed its populace is vulnerable to social crises and insecurity and even external manipulations. This is the more reason why the National Assembly is firmly in support of the efforts to move the country away from a mono-cultural economy and accord food and agricultural sector a renewed attention in the scheme of things. We, in the National Assembly wish to assure you of our support and cooperation to ensure that we have food security in Nigeria,” he said.
He hinted that the lawmakers would push for the enactment of the law that gave the existence of the NIFST a legal backing, as well as the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Act that are currently being reviewed with a view to further empowering the agency to step up its regulatory activities regarding the food component of its mandate.
He also mentioned other legislations that are being considered by the House, including the National Food Reserve Agency (establishment bill), 2011; Food Security Advancement Fund (establishment bill), 2012; Food Processing and Preservation Centre Bill, 2013; and Nigerian Agro-Processing and Food Safety Commission (establishment bill), 2013.
According to him, these bills, which are considered critical to the issue of food security in the country, are at various stages of consideration by the House.
