Nigeria Repositions Food Security as Economic, Security Imperative — VP Shettima

By Iyojo Ameh

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said Nigeria is repositioning food security beyond the confines of agriculture, recognising it as a vital macroeconomic, security, and governance concern crucial to national stability and economic resilience.

Shettima made the remarks on Wednesday at a high-level panel session titled “When Food Becomes Security” held at the Congress Centre during the 56th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
According to the Vice President, the Federal Government has embraced a comprehensive, multi-dimensional agricultural approach aimed at shielding the economy from global shocks, curbing food inflation, and reviving productivity across major food-producing regions.
“In Nigeria, food security is not viewed solely as an agricultural matter. It is a macroeconomic, security, and governance issue. We are deliberately positioning food security as a cornerstone for national security, regional cohesion, and overall stability,” Shettima said.
He explained that Nigeria’s food security architecture is built on three core pillars: boosting food production, ensuring environmental sustainability, and strengthening regional integration within the West African sub-region.
Shettima observed that disruptions in global supply chains and evolving economic realities have compelled Nigeria to turn inward and develop resilient food systems suited to its varied ecological zones. He pointed to the country’s diverse climate-related challenges, including desertification, deforestation, and drought in the Sahelian North, as well as recurrent flooding in the riverine South and parts of the North Central region.
To mitigate these challenges, he said the government is encouraging the cultivation of drought-resistant, flood-tolerant, and early-maturing varieties of key staples such as rice, sorghum, and millet, while also redesigning food systems in flood-prone areas to better withstand climate shocks.
The Vice President identified insecurity as a major obstacle to agricultural output, noting that many of Nigeria’s most productive food belts are located in conflict-affected areas.
“Most of our national food baskets are in security-challenged zones. That is why we are establishing food security corridors and reinforcing community-based security arrangements to ensure farmers can safely return to their farms,” he stated.

Shettima also announced the introduction of the Back to the Farm Initiative, a programme aimed at resettling displaced farmers by providing them with inputs, insurance coverage, and access to financing to resume agricultural activities.
On the macroeconomic front, he said Nigeria’s heavy reliance on food imports and volatility in foreign exchange remain key drivers of food inflation.
“We import a significant proportion of wheat, sugar, and dairy products, and this feeds directly into inflationary pressures. Our response is to fast-track local production and promote alternatives such as sorghum, millet, and cassava flour to address these structural distortions,” he explained.
He added that Nigeria’s food security agenda integrates agricultural reforms with inflation management, national security, and regional collaboration, positioning agriculture as a frontline response to both economic and security challenges.
Shettima further noted that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, Nigeria has “awoken from its slumber,” expressing confidence that within the next 12 months, smallholder farmers and fishers would become “investable at scale.”
Highlighting the importance of regional cooperation, the Vice President said growing global uncertainties have made intra-African trade more critical than ever, urging African leaders to deepen collaboration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He expressed optimism that the Renewed Hope Agenda reforms would soon transition climate adaptation initiatives from pilot phases to full-scale implementation and significantly boost intra-African trade beyond the current 10.7 per cent.