NIGERIA TREATS FOOD SECURITY AS MACROECONOMIC, SECURITY PRIORITY — VP SHETTIMA

Vice President Kashim Shettima has declared that Nigeria is redefining food security beyond agriculture, positioning it as a core macroeconomic, security, and governance priority critical to national stability and economic resilience.

The remarks were contained in a statement issued by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, on Thursday.

Shettima made this known at a high-level panel titled “When Food Becomes Security” held at the Congress Centre during the 56th World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

He said the Federal Government has embarked on a multi-dimensional agricultural strategy aimed at insulating Nigeria from global economic shocks, curbing food inflation, and restoring productivity in key food-producing regions.

“In Nigeria, we don’t look at food security purely as an agricultural issue. It is a macroeconomic, security and governance issue.

Our focus is to use food security as a pillar for national security, regional cohesion and stability,” the Vice President stated.

According to him, Nigeria’s food security framework is built on three key pillars: increased food production, environmental sustainability, and deeper regional integration within the West African sub-region.

Shettima explained that global supply chain disruptions and changing economic realities have compelled Nigeria to look inward and rebuild resilient food systems adapted to its diverse ecological zones.

He noted that the country’s ecological challenges vary significantly, ranging from desertification, deforestation, and drought in the Sahelian North to recurrent flooding in the riverine South and parts of the North Central region.

“To address this, we are promoting drought-resistant, flood-tolerant, and early-maturing varieties of staple crops such as rice, sorghum, and millet, while redesigning food systems in flood-prone areas to withstand climate shocks,” he said.

The Vice President identified insecurity as a major obstacle to agricultural productivity, noting that many of Nigeria’s conflict-affected areas are also its primary food-producing zones.“Most of the food baskets of our nation are security-challenged.

That is why we are creating food security corridors and strengthening community-based security engagements so farmers can return safely to their land,” he added.

Shettima disclosed that the Federal Government has launched the Back to the Farm Initiative, a programme designed to resettle displaced farmers and support their return to agriculture through the provision of inputs, insurance, and access to capital.

Addressing Nigeria’s macroeconomic challenges, the Vice President identified import dependence and foreign exchange volatility as key drivers of food inflation.“We largely import wheat, sugar and dairy products, and this has a direct impact on inflation.

Our strategy is to accelerate local production and promote substitutes such as sorghum, millet and cassava flour to correct these structural imbalances,” he said.

He further stated that Nigeria’s food security strategy aligns agricultural reform with inflation control, national security, and regional cooperation, positioning agriculture as a frontline response to economic and security threats.

Shettima also noted that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, Nigeria has “woken up from its slumber,” adding that the government is on track to make smallholder farmers and fishers “investable at scale” within the next 12 months.

He emphasised that rising global uncertainties have made intra-African trade increasingly essential, urging African leaders to intensify collaboration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The Vice President expressed optimism that the Renewed Hope Agenda reforms would soon translate climate adaptation efforts from pilot projects into reality and significantly boost intra-African trade beyond the current 10.7 per cent.