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NLNG, LCCI partnership to drive innovations for national food security

By Charles Okonji

The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce (LCCI) have partnered to encourage and support innovations to achieve food security in the country.

NLNG General Manager, External Relations, and Sustainability Development, Mr. Andy Odeh, at the LCCI/NLNG business stakeholders interactive forum in Lagos, said the theme for the 2022 Nigeria Prize for Literature tagged “Innovation in Sustainable Food Security.” received over 80 entries after which only two great works emerged as joint winners.

According to him, the Nigeria Prize for Science sponsored by Nigeria LNG limited is the most prestigious science prize in Africa with the highest prize money of $100,000.

He noted that the focus on food security was in alignment with Goal 2 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which seeks sustainable solutions to end hunger in all its forms by 2030 and to achieve food security.

He stressed that it entails improving the productivity and incomes of small-scale farmers by promoting equal access to land, technology, and markets, resilient agricultural practices, and sustainable food production systems.

He said: “As a forward-looking and modern organization, run with the very best global practices, Nigeria LNG is focused on making every one of these innovations count. It has recognized that it is not enough to have innovations without them impacting society. Being a company committed to building a better Nigeria, NLNG is seeking ways to ensure that these improvements bring about positive developmental changes in the country.”

“Yes, change in terms of huge prize money for the winner and change for the society which benefits from the application of the winning entry. Society must be the greatest winner at all times. But this can only happen when every discovery is applied to solving the challenges that society faces day in and day out,” he said.

“We are confident that the wealth of experience of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a foremost jewel of our country’s organized private sector, and the skill and knowledge of its members would be the catalyst for the wonderful research findings of the 2022 cycle of the Nigeria Prize for Science. Nigeria LNG will continue to partner with the business community, the academia, and its host communities towards encouraging research and ensuring that the findings contribute to building a better Nigeria,” he assured.

Also speaking, the president, LCCI, Michael Olawale-Cole, stated that there is no better time to gather over a topic on food security as the threat of destructive flooding and droughts faces the country due to climate change.

He added that this is also coming at a time when Nigeria is grappling with a surging food inflation at 23.75 per cent which has been the main driver of Nigeria’s high headline inflation at 21.34 per cent.

“It is worthy of note that Nigerians on the average spend more than 50 per cent of their incomes on food alone while they also face high cost of energy.

He pointed out that the challenges highlighted above are the reasons why the nation needs innovations in sustainable food systems to guarantee food security in Nigeria.

“We need scientific exploits in the field of agriculture to beat the emerging effects of climate change. The awardees we celebrate today have distinguished themselves with a show of unrivaled intellectual capacity that has led to innovative discoveries in agriculture and food security,” he noted.

“In the face of threatening weather conditions, we need new methods, tools, and infrastructure to cope with emerging challenges in agriculture. We should then celebrate the winners of the NLNG 2022 Nigeria Prize for Science, and we say congratulations to the awardees,” he advised.

He added that the chamber has consistently collaborated with reputable institutions like the LNLG to promote programmes that enhance the business environment, citizens’ welfare, and stability in the economy.

“We congratulate the Chairman and members of the Science and Technology Committee of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on this successful collaboration with Nigeria LNG Limited in organizing this interactive session with winners of the 2022 Nigeria Prize for Science,” he said.

“This Prize celebrates excellence in scientific breakthroughs, and honours scientists from anywhere in the world who help find solutions to a local or ‘Nigerian’ need, as defined and advertised by the Advisory Board for the Prize. And the winners were selected through a rigorous process that guarantees the integrity of the awards according to international best practice,” he averred.

 

 

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