Food security now national security issue for Nigeria – Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima said Nigeria no longer views food security through a narrow agricultural lens, but as a fundamental macroeconomic, security, and governance issue.

He said the Federal Government had begun a multi-dimensional agricultural drive designed to insulate the nation from global shocks while restoring the productivity of its food basket regions.

Speaking at a high-level panel titled “When Food Becomes Security” at the Congress Centre during the 56th World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Shettima said the Federal Government no longer treats food security as an agricultural concern but as a strategic pillar for 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.”

According to the Vice President, 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.

He explained that changing global trends and supply chain disruptions have compelled Nigeria to look inward and rebuild its agricultural base by developing resilient food systems tailored to its diverse 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.”

To address these challenges, 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 southern regions to withstand climate shocks.

Security, he noted, remains a major constraint, particularly because many conflict-affected areas are also Nigeria’s 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 disclosed that the Federal Government has launched the Back to the Farm Initiative, a programme designed to resettle displaced farmers by providing them with agricultural inputs, insurance, and access to capital to restart food production.

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