By Aderogba George
An NGO with the name ‘the Northsouth Initiative for Family Development (NIFAD)’ on Thursday in Abuja presented a book to the general public titled “Achieving sustainable development goals through families and communities”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NGO also inaugurated a project named “The Family Farms and Nutrition Support Project in Nigeria (FFANSPIN).
President/CEO of the NGO, Dr Funmilayo Ogunyebi said the book was targeted at harnessing the resources inherent in the family and community structures to drive all the SDG goals especially goal 1 and 2.
Ogunyebi who is also the author of the book said that FFANSPIN was established by the NGO to reduce the declining standards of living by Nigerian families.
She said that the idea was conceive due to the inability of families in Nigeria to manage or establish farms that can effectively provide for their nutritional and economic need.
“In furtherance of ensuring our goal of having a Nigerian society in which all families and their members, irrespective of whatever challenge of life they may be encountering at any stage, are supported to attain their highest possible potentials for their personal and family growth in consonance with global development goals.
“The book launched focused on harnessing the resources inherent in the family and community structures for driving the achievement of SDGs in most parts of the world, particularly in Nigeria as an example of one of the developing countries of the world.
“FFANSPIN is the aggregation of various interventions aimed at providing necessary supports to families in establishing and managing farms that can effectively provides their nutritional and economic needs in any parts of Nigeria,” she stressed.
Mr Dunoma Ahmed (PhD), the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the title of the book that was launched is a reflective of the country’s journey towards sustainable development.
Ahmed who was represented by Amb. Ibn. Charles, a director in the ministry said the book title is guided by the country steadfast belief that the family unit and the broader community are the cornerstones of progress.
He said that the book will provide a comprehensive overview of the progress made in actualising the sustainable development agenda, while also documenting the remarkable success stories that have emerged from the active involvement of families and communities across Nigeria.
Amb. Aderemi Bolaji, Director of trade and economic affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the publication of the book came at a time when the need for grassroot development was more pressing in the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
He said that the book highlight essential role which community play to drive sustainability, adding that the book has the potentials to enhance food security.
Bolaji said that the book will promote sustainable livelihood, address malnutrition in the society, and re-empower multi-stakeholders engagement, while encouraging all stakeholders to actively support the initiative.
The Chairman of the occasion, Mr Femi Atteh (SAN), represented by Mr Shola Okeneye, an associate to the Chairman, called on Nigerians to get a copy of the book and ensure they read it
Atteh said that the book will enable families to wake up to their responsibilities by providing for themselves
The book reviewer, Dr Oluwole Daini who listed the 17 goals of the SDGs, said the book was all about promoting all the content therein especially to end poverty in Nigeria, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote agriculture.
“The book is a programme focus book, it looks at what individuals, family and community can do, it aim at harnessing all the resources that are inherent in most part of the world.
“The chapters in the book are pragmatically written to achieve it aims, it has 10 chapters. The first, second and third chapters focused on how to achieve SDGs.
“All the chapters focuses on what individuals, families and communities can do to achieve food security, ” he said. (NAN)
