Focus On Hunger Eradication, Cole Urges Tinubu

Tonye Cole, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, has urged President Bola Tinubu to prioritize the eradication of hunger in Nigeria for the overall progress of the country.

Cole emphasized that addressing issues such as violence, weak government systems, and healthcare deficiencies is crucial in the fight against hunger.

During the unveiling of Nigeria’s hunger report by the T200 Foundation in Abuja on Saturday, Tonye Cole highlighted the pressing need for action to combat hunger in the country.

Recognizing the severe consequences of widespread hunger, he emphasized the importance of immediate intervention to address this critical issue.

He said, “Nigeria is once again at a unique historical juncture in which some measures, if done correctly and with the right political will, can be enormously transformational for the country and the continent at large.

“It is instructive that China accomplished this using a two-pronged method. The first strategic pillar, according to the World Bank study, was to implement a broad-based economic transformation to create new economic possibilities and boost average incomes. The second strategic pillar entailed providing targeted assistance for poverty alleviation.

“These factors that drive extreme poverty and, inevitably, hunger are similar to what exists in Nigeria today, which means that to meet the SDG 2 target of zero hunger through poverty eradication, Nigeria must also design a simple, implementable, and sustainable model and stick to it over time. This is undoubtedly more sophisticated than the famous ‘stomach infrastructure’ but it must be as simple to the masses as ‘stomach infrastructure’ is to them.”

He advised the president to ensure there is a comprehensive register for vulnerable persons in the country to enable it to effectively tackle the menace.

Cole said, “I would like to call on the government to consolidate the various data gathering platforms such as the National Social Register, National Identification Number, Biometric Verification Number and then create an interface with NGOs active in the field to integrate the data they have with that of the government to create a comprehensive register of all vulnerable persons in Nigeria. ”