Nigeria and the Kingdom of Spain have reinforced their bilateral partnership on food security, nutrition, and sustainable livestock development, mobilising key regional and international actors to confront growing climate and food system challenges.
The renewed commitment emerged at a High-Level Meeting convened in Abuja by the Director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, Antón Leis García, bringing together government officials and development partners to chart coordinated solutions.
Speaking on behalf of the Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, commended Spain for its sustained investment in sustainable food systems, climate adaptation, and social protection initiatives across West Africa.
She stressed that Nigeria’s livestock transformation agenda prioritises climate resilience, market integration, and inclusivity.
Akujobi identified feed and fodder shortages, rehabilitation of grazing reserves, enhanced biosecurity and disease surveillance systems, and gender inclusion across livestock value chains as critical pillars for achieving durable food security and improved nutrition outcomes.
She noted that strengthened cooperation with Spain, alongside multilateral and humanitarian partners, would accelerate practical solutions for farmers, pastoralists, women, and vulnerable communities.
In his remarks, García underscored the urgency of knowledge sharing and regionally driven responses amid intensifying floods, droughts, and market disruptions linked to climate change.
He emphasised that West Africa possesses significant local expertise that must be harnessed to build resilient food systems capable of addressing immediate humanitarian needs while creating long-term economic opportunities.
He reaffirmed Spain’s readiness to collaborate closely with Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States to strengthen coordinated food security interventions and inclusive development strategies.
Discussions also highlighted the strategic importance of the ECOWAS Regional Food Security Reserve initiative, under which Nigeria hosts one of the largest storage facilities, reinforcing its central role in regional emergency response and food distribution mechanisms.
The meeting drew participation from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and leading civil society organisations.
Presenting the nutrition outlook, UNICEF’s representative projected that approximately 35 million Nigerians across 27 states could face food insecurity during the 2026 lean season, with nearly three million children at risk of severe acute malnutrition.
The agency warned that malnutrition remains a leading underlying cause of child mortality, with lasting implications for cognitive development, productivity, and national growth.
Participants at the meeting called for integrated, data-driven, and locally anchored interventions, stressing that strengthening regional food reserves, improving maternal and child nutrition, and enhancing resilience to climate shocks require sustained collaboration among governments, development institutions, and humanitarian partners.
