Vice-President Kashim Shettima says Nigeria is making renewed progress under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, noting that the country has begun implementing reforms aimed at strengthening food security and economic stability.
Shettima made the remark while speaking at a high-level panel themed “When Food Becomes Security” at the Congress Centre during the 56th World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
He expressed optimism that the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda would, in the coming months, translate climate adaptation initiatives from pilot stages into full implementation and boost intra-African trade beyond the current 10.7 per cent.
The Vice-President said the Tinubu-led administration is working to make smallholder farmers and fishers investable at scale within the next 12 months.
He added that the government no longer views food security solely as an agricultural issue but as a broader macroeconomic, security, and governance concern.
According to him, the Federal Government has commenced a multi-dimensional agricultural programme aimed at shielding the country from global shocks 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,”
He said Nigeria’s food security strategy is anchored on three pillars: increased food production, environmental sustainability, and deeper regional integration within the West African sub-region.
“Our focus is to use food security as a pillar for national security, regional cohesion and stability.”
Shettima explained that global supply chain disruptions have forced the country to look inward and rebuild its agricultural base by developing resilient food systems adapted to its diverse ecological zones.
He noted that while the Sahelian North is affected by desertification, deforestation, and drought, flooding remains a major challenge in the riverine South and parts of the North Central region.
The Vice-President said the government is 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 better withstand climate shocks.
He identified insecurity as a major obstacle to food production, noting that many conflict-affected areas are also key food baskets.
“Most of the food baskets of our nation are security-challenged,” he said, adding that the government is establishing food security corridors and strengthening community-based security to enable farmers to return safely to their land.
Shettima disclosed that the Federal Government has launched the Back to the Farm Initiative to resettle displaced farmers by providing agricultural inputs, insurance, and access to capital.
He also identified import dependence and foreign exchange volatility as major contributors to food inflation, noting that Nigeria relies heavily on imports of wheat, sugar, and dairy products.
“Our strategy is to accelerate local production and promote substitutes such as sorghum, millet, and cassava flour to address these structural imbalances,” he said.
The Vice-President said Nigeria’s food security approach aligns agriculture with inflation control, national stability, and regional cooperation, and urged African countries to deepen collaboration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).