Mr. Udom Emmanuel, Governor, Akwa Ibom State.
By Tony Udoh
The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources, Pastor Umo Eno, says Governor Udom Emmanuel, is passionate about implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the State.
The Commissioner said this while playing host to the leadership and members of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) who are currently undertaking an appraisal of some critical aspects of the SDGs in some states of the Federation including Akwa Ibom.
Pastor Umo Eno noted that one of the main focus of the completion agenda championed by Governor Udom Emmanuel is food security, adding that the Governor has set different machineries on motion to achieve the set objectives and ensure sustainability.
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He noted that Akwa Ibom State approaches agriculture from a different perspective to ensure food sufficiency and security adding that the constitution of the technical Committee on Agriculture and Food Sufficiency, and the Directorate of Agric Investments are strategic moves towards attaining the goals.
The Commissioner reiterated that it is a fundamental objective of the Governor Udom Emmanuel led administration to ensure that 80 percent of food consumed in the State are produced internally.
He stressed that the State’s Agric committee made up of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Technical Committee on Agriculture and Food Sufficiency, and the Directorate of Agric Investments ably chaired by the Hon. Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Glory Edet, is working together to achieve food security.
Pastor Umo Eno maintained that although he is the Executive Director of Agric Investments, it will be of immense benefit for the NIPSS team to visit the Hon. Commissioner for Agriculture who according to him, will talk in details on SDGs 2 while he dwell on Goals 6 as the Hon.commissioner for Lands and Water Resources.
The Commissioner therefore noted that in the area of water and Sanitation, the Ministry is well on track and currently collaborating with the Federal Government for the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme to end open defecation.
“In fact, our Governor is very passionate about ensuring that the Sustainable Development Goals are met in all its ramifications. Right now, the Government is also reviewing its water bill to have acceptable water law and policy,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the State Coordinator and leader of the team, Dr. Jacob Tsado said NIPSS is the apex policy, research and training institution in Nigeria, which among other engagements, undertake policy research into all areas of national life.
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He said the Institute is a general purpose research institute with the mandate to look into any and every issue that concerns Nigeria, and currently studying on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Dr. Tsado said the study is ongoing in six states of the federation representing the six geopolitical zones, and with specific interest in goals number two (food security) and six (Water and Sanitation) of the 17 SDGs, which according to him are critical goals affecting people at the grassroot level.
Other members of the team included; Dr. Theophilus Danjuma, Mr. Joseph Itse, Henry C. Ukwoma, Salifu A. Momoh, Ugbenu Oke, and Panti Ibrahim Ibrahim.
Highpoint of the meeting was the interaction of the NIPSS with Directors in the Ministry and Managers of allied bodies including Akwa Ibom Water Company Limited, and Akwa Ibom State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (AKRUWATSAN).
