Food Security: IDFP, KAICIID, PaRD Train Benue Farmers, Herders, IDPs on Sustainable Agriculture, Nutrition and Climate-Resilient Practice

 

In response to the devastating effects of conflict and climate change on food security in Benue State, the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP), in collaboration with the King Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) and the International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD), has trained farmers, herders, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in sustainable agriculture, nutrition education, and climate-resilient farming techniques.

The initiative, themed “Scale-Up: Strengthening Food Security Sensitization, Awareness and Policy Engagement in Nigeria,” is being implemented by IDFP in partnership with the Interfaith Dialogue Network (IDN), Benue State.
Speaking at the three-day training programme in Makurdi, the Co-Secretary of IDFP, Imam Shefiu Abdulkareem, noted that Benue State is confronted with numerous challenges, including farmer-herder conflicts, climate change, and fragile agricultural systems.
He explained that prolonged violence and communal clashes have displaced farming communities, resulting in the abandonment of farmlands, declining agricultural productivity, rising food insecurity, and widespread malnutrition.
According to him, the organisations adopted a faith-based approach to promote food security and peace, stressing that religious leaders are trusted within communities, embedded in local structures, influential in shaping behaviour, and effective in mediation and peacebuilding efforts.
He added that the training was designed to enhance participants’ knowledge and skills in climate-smart agriculture, promote nutrition and food security through sustainable practices, harness their influence for positive behavioural change, and strengthen community structures across the state.
He further stated that by the end of the programme, stakeholders are expected to adopt improved climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive practices, build stronger collaboration and social cohesion among farmers, herders, and community actors, and promote peaceful coexistence and resilience.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Research and Collaboration at the Centre for Food Technology and Research (CEFTER), Prof. Sylvester Adejo, observed that climate change and conflict have significantly weakened food and nutrition security due to reduced food production.
Delivering a paper titled “Food Security, Nutrition and Climate Resilience Interconnectivity: The Benue Situation,” Adejo emphasised the importance of adaptation strategies to mitigate climate change impacts and ensure increased harvests.
Similarly, Mr. Ezekiel Ode of CEFTER, who presented on “Understanding Food Security and Nutrition,” highlighted the harmful consequences of malnutrition on human growth and development. He stressed that food security and proper nutrition are essential for productivity, economic growth, and combating hunger. He commended IDFP for the initiative and encouraged participants to make the most of the training.
Earlier, the Co-Publicity Secretary of IDFP, Hajia Amina Kazaure, welcomed participants and stressed the significance of adequate and nutritious food in fostering peace, happiness, and unity within communities. She assured them that the training would provide practical skills to boost food production and improve nutrition for families and the broader Benue population.
Participants drawn from IDP camps and communities across the state — including Mrs. Awashima Ajinde, Women Leader at the International Market IDP Camp; Emmanuel Atsea from Gwer West Local Government Area; and Ernest Atoji, Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Benue State chapter — expressed gratitude to IDFP and its partners. They called for sustained collaboration with federal and state governments, as well as relevant agencies, to support their safe return to ancestral homes.
The programme ended with a practical food and nutrition demonstration held at the Ter Makurdi’s office in Makurdi.