* Canvasses global partnership for sustainable agricultural transformation

* Holds high-level bilateral meetings with FAO, IFAD, WFP chiefs, seeks support for Lake Chad

Deji Elumoye in Abuja 

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has called on global stakeholders to deepen cooperation with Nigeria in rebuilding sustainable and inclusive food systems across Africa, saying true national sovereignty is incomplete without food sovereignty.

He noted that President Bola Tinubu has designed a comprehensive strategy to address food security challenges, which mostly impact vulnerable citizens in conflict-affected regions.

The vice-president spoke during a panel on Country Perspectives: Government-led Strategies and Regional Frameworks during the UN Food Systems Summit +4 (UNFSS+4) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Shettima said President Tinubu’s bold national strategy, including the declaration of a state of emergency on food security and the rollout of systemic reforms, was aimed at transforming agriculture into a resilient, youth-driven, market-based engine of economic growth.

According to him, “Our target is to attain food sovereignty. So long as a nation is not independent in the area of food sovereignty, it remains a non-sovereign nation.”

The vice-president recalled that when President Tinubu assumed office in 2023, the administration met a fragile food system worsened by insecurity, climate shocks and inflationary pressures.

“His Excellency President Tinubu declared a State of Emergency on Food Security, not out of fear, but out of genuine concern for the welfare of our people, especially in conflict-driven environments like the North-east, where Boko Haram was sowing seeds of discord and destruction,” he stated.

Shettima explained that with 25 million vulnerable people across fragile regions, the government adopted coordinated policy measures, including the creation of the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU), not to displace existing institutions, but to harmonise all food security interventions.

“We have also initiated food support mechanisms in the North-east and North-west. But we believe charity is not the answer. In Africa, we say that when you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach him to fish, you empower him for life. In our displaced people’s camps, we’re encouraging food production for dignity and resilience,” he stressed. 

The vice-president stressed that Nigeria’s agricultural transformation strategy must be market-driven, powered by entrepreneurship and innovation.

His words: “Our belief is that agriculture should be market-driven. The whole mantra is about increasing yields. Entrepreneurial capitalism is embedded in the psyche of the average Nigerian.”

To achieve this, he said the government is investing in improved seeds, extension services, climate-resilient farming, and mechanisation.

“We are reinforcing our extension services so that our farmers can get up-to-date information on rainfall patterns and how to manage the climate shocks ravaging our part of the world,” Shettima further said.

Also, on the margins of the UN Food summit, the vice-president held high-level bilateral meetings with top executives of key global food and development agencies, including the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), QU Dongyu; President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Álvaro Lario, and Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Cindy McCain.

In his meeting with the FAO DG, Shettima sought the organisation’s partnership in reviving the Lake Chad region, enhancing all-year farming and supporting the Green Revolution Project of the Federal Government.

“The revival of the Lake Chad region, which is being threatened by multidimensional challenges such as environmental degradation, climate change, humanitarian crises, and conflict, requires a multi-pronged approach, development initiatives, conflict resolution, regional cooperation and large-scale infrastructure,” he said.

He emphasised the region’s enormous agricultural potential, urging FAO to play a central role in supporting its recovery.

FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, praised the political will of the Tinubu administration, describing it as a clear demonstration of committed leadership to transform Nigeria’s food systems. 

He pledged enhanced FAO partnership and technical support.

In a similar meeting with IFAD President, Álvaro Lario,the vice-president underscored the administration’s resolve to empower smallholder farmers, especially youth and women, with access to finance, mechanisation and modern inputs.

“We are focusing on increased productivity, resilience and commercialisation, not handouts,” Shettima noted, adding that Nigeria’s plan includes scaling up existing IFAD-supported projects to reach more rural communities.

The vice-president also held talks with WFP Executive Director, Cindy McCain, during which he commended the organisation’s longstanding humanitarian interventions in Nigeria. 

Shettima, however, reiterated the administration’s shift towards sustainable solutions.

On his part, McCain pledged WFP’s continued commitment to working with the Nigerian government in areas such as school feeding, nutrition and support for displaced communities.

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