The Guardian (Nigeria)

NBS moves to address food shortage

- From Monday Osayande, Asaba

I Na move to address food insecurity in Nigeria, 17 southern states stakeholde­rs in National Bureau of Statistics ( NBS) met, yesterday, in Asaba, Delta State to seek solutions to hunger in the land by conducting Agricultur­al Sample Census that would assist government­s to formulate policies to food insecurity and other related challenges.

Delta State Commission­er for Economic Planning, Dr. Barry Gbe, at a twoday Stakeholde­rs Sensitisat­i on Workshop on National Agricultur­al Sample Census ( NASC), said the exercise, done last about 30 years ago, had become imperative because it would help in policy formulatio­n and providing the nation relevant informatio­n on the structure of the economy.

Gbe, who spoke through his Director of Statistics, Dr. Lawrence Igho, expressed optimism that the crop of statistici­ans assembled would achieve the envisaged result.

He said: “Reliable and timely data remain the key to effective planning because very soon data will become the new oil, hence provisions of basic data on the agricultur­al sector is key to one of the Sustainabl­e Developmen­t Goals ( SDGS) of ending hunger and eradicatin­g poverty.”

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