Center For Institute of Food Security

The  University  of  Agriculture,  Makurdi  (UAM)  was  established  in  1988  by  the Federal Government of Nigeria as part of the strategies for achieving National Food Self-sufficiency and Reliance. UAM was charged with the  mandate of integrating teaching,  research  and  model  extension  services  in  forms  that  would  continually assure  scientific  transformation  of  agriculture  for  National  goal  achievement  in attaining and sustaining food security status.

An important component of UAM’s strategic plan is the development of programme initiatives on food security.   Conceptually,  UAM  views  Food  Security  as  all encompassing  and  seeks  to  contribute to  the opening  up of  the  pathways to  the attainment and sustenance of the national food security status within the context of the value chain.  The critical components of and the issues involved in the chain are production, storage, processing and marketing  which jointly direct the patterns of consumption and utilization which are, also, the view of UAM that food  insecurity persists when a milieu of exogenous and endogenous elements interact in forms that create impediments to  the effectiveness of the value chain. The analysis of these would aid in addressing food security problems.

It is in consideration of the above that the Senate of the University constituted a Committee to draw up the blue -print for setting up an institutional outfit on food security issues. This represents a unique opportunity f or strengthening the intellectual base for analyzing and addressing the worsening national and global food security situations through the establishment of the Institute of Food Security (IFS). The Institute has been mandated to contribute to filling the intellectual gaps in terms of knowledge and information, analytical and advisory capacity as well as brokerage functions pertaining to food security in Nigeria in particular and globally at large. It is also, envisaged to substantially contribute to the policy implementation mechanism of the national food security programme.

The Institute of Food Security has clear statements of vision, mission and mandate as well as the back-up organizational structure and linkage arrangements for delivering the mission and mandate and, thus, achieving its vision. In that regard, six programme and activity areas have been put in place. These are:

1.       Strategy and Governance Programme

2.       Knowledge, Innovation and Extension Programme

3.       Technology and Environmental Programme

4.       Markets and Institutions Programme

5.       Food and Nutrition Programme, and

6.       Biotechnology and Farm Health Programme

The operational modalities of the programmes assure high multi -disciplinary content in resource mobilization and utilization for analyzing and addressing food security issues.  This handbook has been organized and presented into the following six sections:-

1)      Nature, Goals and Objectives of the Institute.

2)      Administrative structure and functions of the organs of the Institute

3)      Operational Guidelines, Programmes and Activities

4)      Funding Arrangement

5)      Internal and External Linkages

6)      Key officials and their responsibilities.

These sections would guide the innovative efforts of the Institute of Food Security in analyzing and addressing the concerns for Food Security in Africa and the entire world.

(i) To conceptualize and contextualize the vision of the Institute against the desire of Nigeria to achieve sustainable food security.

(ii) To identify the programmes and activities, at both national and international levels, towards and addressing the food security concerns in all ramifications.

(iii) To maintain an optimal organizational structure of the Institute for meeting the minimum standard required in carrying out the institute’s established mission and mandate.

(iv) To indicate alternative modes of funding the institute in the short, medium and long terms.