Vice President Kashim Shettima has said Nigeria, widely regarded as the giant of Africa, has emerged from years of stagnation under what he described as the dynamic and purposeful leadership of President Bola Tinubu.
Mr. Shettima made the remarks at a high-level panel titled, “When Food Becomes Security,” held at the Congress Centre during the 56th World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
He expressed optimism that the reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda would, in the coming months, translate into concrete gains in climate adaptation and significantly expand intra-African trade beyond the current 10.7 per cent.
The vice president said the Tinubu-led administration is on track to enable smallholder farmers and fishers to become investable at scale within the next 12 months.
He announced that Nigeria no longer views food security through a narrow agricultural perspective but as a critical macroeconomic, security, and governance concern.
According to Mr. Shettima, the federal government has commenced a multi-dimensional agricultural strategy aimed at shielding the country from global shocks while reviving productivity across key food-producing regions.
He said the administration now treats food security as a strategic pillar of governance, economic stability, and regional cohesion.
“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.
“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,” Mr. Shettima said.
He explained that shifting global trends and supply chain disruptions had forced the country to adopt inward-looking strategies to rebuild its agricultural base through resilient food systems adapted to Nigeria’s varied ecological zones.
“Nigeria is a very large country, and there is an incestuous relationship between economy and ecology. In the Sahelian North, we are dealing with desertification, deforestation and drought. In the riverine South and parts of the North Central, flooding is our major challenge,” he said.
Mr. Shettima noted that the government is promoting drought-resistant, flood-tolerant, and early-maturing varieties of staple crops such as rice, sorghum, and millet, while also redesigning food systems in flood-prone southern regions to withstand climate-related shocks.
He identified insecurity as a major obstacle, stressing that many conflict-prone areas also serve as the nation’s key 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 said.
The vice president disclosed that the federal government has rolled out the Back to the Farm Initiative, a programme aimed at resettling displaced farmers by providing agricultural inputs, insurance coverage, and access to finance to revive food production.
He identified import dependence and foreign exchange volatility as key contributors to 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,” Mr. Shettima said.
He added that Nigeria’s food security strategy aligns agricultural development with national stability, inflation control, and regional cooperation, positioning the sector as a frontline response to economic and security challenges.
Mr. Shettima urged other African leaders to intensify collaboration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), stressing the need for African countries to address internal structural issues to achieve collective progress.
