LAGOS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua called on the G8 countries to act rather than make promises on hunger to save the worsening situation in less developed nations, local press reported on Thursday.

In his paper presented at the ongoing World Summit on Food Security held in Rome, Italy on Wednesday, Yar'Adua said the rich nations only released 1 billion U.S. dollars of the8 billion dollars pledged as aid to the less-endowed nations in 2008.

The G8 similarly had made a pledge to mobilize 20 billion dollars as aid to developing nations over a period of three years.

Represented by Shamsudeen Usman, the country's minister of National Planning, Yar'Adua said if the pledges were redeemed, they would bring about significant improvement in the level of achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

He stressed that poverty alleviation, reduction of hunger and realizing the goals of the MDGs were dependent on increased investment in agriculture and rural development.

The president said the worsening global food and economic situation coupled with the financial and economic crises had created a situation where more people were currently living within the poverty bracket.

According to him, if not urgently addressed, the projected growth in the number of hungry people could threaten the efforts to achieving the MDGs.

Yar'Adua said there was the likelihood of even reversing the development gains made over the last decade.

He added that his administration was not resting on its oars and added that Nigeria had made massive investment in agriculture such that 12 percent of the 2009 budget was allocated to the sector.

"This is over and above the Maputo declaration which recommends 10 percent of annual budget as allocation to agriculture," the News Agency of Nigeria quoted him as saying.

He stressed that Nigeria was not particular about aid but meaningful partnership and as such had left its doors open to foreign investors desirous of participating in new projects on agricultural development.

He listed the provision of market infrastructure, processing and storage facilities, provision of essential agricultural input and services as the cornerstone of the new trend.

"Our investment in agriculture and water resources development is already beginning to show results as Nigeria's GDP increased by 6.0 percent in the first half of 2009 with agriculture contributing almost half of the GDP growth rate," he said.