By ALEX ENEBELI

Enugu State Government, on Tuesday, inaugurated the state’s sustainable food distribution programme aimed at providing food items to vulnerable households to eliminate hunger and improve nutrition in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme is designed to provide food items monthly to vulnerable households for 12 consecutive months and the food items were distributed to over 500 households in Enugu.

Inaugurating the programme at International Conference Centre, Enugu, Gov. Peter Mbah, said the programme underscored an unwavering dedication of the state government to improving the quality of life of Enugu people.

Mbah, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, noted that across the globe, food insecurity remains one of the most stubborn challenges of the time.

According to him, the United Nations estimated that no fewer than 735 million people faced hunger in 2020 and here in Nigeria, the reality hits closer to home.

“Millions of our fellow citizens continue to struggle with access to nutritious food, especially in the wake of economic shocks, climate change, displacement, and unbound poverty.

“Beyond the numbers and statistics are people, mothers, who skip meals to feed their children without access to proper nutrition and communities caught in the cycle of scarcity.

“As a responsible and responsive government, we believe that no citizen of the state should go to bed hungry. This is not just a political obligation. It is a moral one.

“So, the Sustainable food distribution programme is more than just a palliative measure. It is a structured, strategic, and sustainable response to food insecurity,” Mbah said.

He explained that through the initiative, the state were providing nutritious, locally sourced food items to vulnerable homes.

Mbah stressed that the government was empowering rural farmers and food producers by integrating them into their supply chain, partnering with communities.

This, he said, the government was doing by partnering community leaders, clergy, civil society organisations, and private sector actors to ensure transparency, equity, and efficiency in distribution.

“We are aligning this intervention with the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) specifically Goal two, which speaks to zero hunger, Goal one, no poverty, Goal 10, reduce equality, and finally Goal 17, which talks about partnership for these goals,” he said.

He also thanked the development partners, NGOs, faith-based organisations, private sector stakeholders, Sapphire, the home company, and other philanthropic individuals for their support.

In her address, the Senior Special Assistant to Mbah and the focal person of the SDGs, Onyinye Akubilo-Okpalanma, said the programme was an initiative birthed under the mandate of SDGs Office, and with the full backing of Mbah.

“This gathering is not just ceremonial; it is deeply symbolic of collective commitment to ending hunger, promoting inclusive being, and improving nutrition among our vulnerable”.

She said that food was a basic human right and not a privilege, lamenting that in many parts of the country access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food remained a daily struggle.

“The socio-economic realities of the past few years exacerbated by climate shocks, inflation, insecurity and unemployment had further exposed the fragility of our food systems and the vulnerability of many households.”

She added that the programme was built on three major pillars which were targeted support to vulnerable households, community participation and transparency and local sourcing and economic inclusion.

The focal person thanked Mbah for inclusive development, Onyia, partners and sponsors – Sapphire and Ceramic Nigeria Limited, the chairman of Enugu East Council Area, Mr. Beloved-Dan Anike, among others.

Highlights of the event were distribution of 10kg bag of rice, groundnut oil, salt, soap and other condiment, presentation on spoken word poetry, award to partners and sax performance. (NAN)