Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged increased investments in climate-smart agriculture, regenerative farming, and digital innovations to enhance Nigeria’s food security and resilience.
Speaking at a strategic workshop on agriculture and food security in Abuja, Shettima emphasized the vital role of the private sector in transforming the country’s agricultural sector. The event, organized by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), and the Presidential Food System Coordinating Unit (PFSCU), aimed to validate key findings from the Agriculture and Food Security Survey.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Special Duties, Dr. Aliyu Modibo, Shettima underscored the importance of a market-driven approach to achieving food security.
“A market-driven approach is the only sustainable pathway to achieving food security. We must develop policies that encourage a competitive, private-sector-led agricultural industry, ensuring that farmers and agribusinesses operate in an enabling environment that fosters innovation and growth,” he stated.
Ambitious Goals for 2025
During the workshop, Executive Secretary of the PFSCU, Ms. Marion Moon, outlined strategic targets for 2025, including:
Reducing food insecurity by 10%
Replenishing national food reserves with 200,000 metric tons of stock
Establishing an Early Warning and Crisis Preparedness System
Enhancing access to quality seeds, fingerlings, and breeding stock for five million farmers
Developing 50,000 hectares of irrigation infrastructure
Mobilizing $10 billion in agricultural investments
Creating or improving 500,000 agribusiness jobs
Moon stressed the urgency of unlocking irrigation infrastructure to enable year-round farming and reducing reliance on seasonal rainfall. She also highlighted the need for high-quality genetic inputs in crops, livestock, and fish to boost productivity and resilience.
Data-Driven Reforms and Private Sector Collaboration
Statistician General and CEO of the NBS, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, represented by Director Ayodele Babalola, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to providing reliable data for effective policy development.
Meanwhile, NESG Vice Chairman Bayo Olusanya, represented by Uche Ogbonna, warned of the risks of inaction in fixing Nigeria’s food systems.
“Every delay increases the number of malnourished children, the number of farmers trapped in poverty, and the vulnerability of our economy to global food crises. Nigeria cannot afford to be a net importer of food when we have the resources to feed ourselves and the world,” he said.
A key takeaway from the workshop was the need for stronger public-private collaboration to ensure long-term agricultural transformation and sustainability. With the right investments in technology and climate-smart practices, Nigeria can secure its food future and strengthen its economy.
