Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Friday inaugurated the Presidential Food System Coordinating Unit (PFSCU), with a mandate to improve food security and crash the cost of food items in the country.
The inauguration of the unit was held at the presidential villa, Abuja.
This followed a presentation by the Technical Assistant to the President of Agriculture, Office of the Vice-President, Marion Moon.
Shettima said: ” the nation is facing a rare food security crisis and the sooner we come to terms with reality, the better.
“Food insecurity endangers the very basis of our democratic experiment and this is why all hands have to be on deck.
“We are in a food security crisis but it also provides us the opportunity to re-engineer and reposition the nation on a firmer footing.”
Shettima, who noted the unit was not created to usurp the functions of the Ministry of Agriculture, said the urgency and seriousness of the matter at hand requires the ideas and resources of all stakeholders.
He made reference to the Green Imperative Programme, a government-catalyzed, private sector-driven, agricultural industrialisation programme, as one initiative which the PFSCU must activate and operationalize.
He stated that with improved farming practices, improved seeds, use of fertilizers, Nigeria’s agricultural productivity could be turned around for the better.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, explained that the unit would coordinate all agricultural activities and the food system among the three tiers of government.
Kyari added that the unit, which membership cut across the three tiers of government, would report to the presidential economic coordinating council which is under the chairmanship of President Bola Tinubu.
Also, Gov. Umar Namadi of Jigawa State, said the inauguration of the unit was in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Tinubu and the agenda of all governors.
” So I think the issue of food security is now being taken seriously and I’m sure with this committee a lot of things will be achieved.
“And I’m sure with this result now, though in our respective states we are representing in our regions and we know in our regional meetings at the state level we will be able to implement what has been decided in the coordinating unit.
“And the outcome of this will be very important because at a small holder the farmer will be assisted and also mechanisation and irrigation issues will come up.
” And these are the major things we need to do to boost agriculture in this country and I think what we are doing at our state level, now we are going to be encouraged and things will work better for Nigerians.”
On his part, Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno, expressed concern over increasing cost of food items in the country.
Zulum particularly said that non-availability of food items was a matter of great concern to all governors.
He emphasised the need for a coordinated approach, citing low productivity and population growth as a major challenge to the nation’s food security drive.
He called for investment in commercial agriculture, improved funding, and enhanced security for farmers.
Gov. Bassey Otu of Cross River State, said the state was looking to feed the country, adding that his government must modernize agriculture to feed the population.
“We are an agrarian state, and we have stepped up our game,” Otu noted.
Gov. Mohammed Bago of Niger, proposed his state as a pilot for the President’s food security initiative.
He revealed that Niger has invested over N100 billion in agricultural mechanization, with 5,000 tractors and 20 pilot irrigation systems available.
Bago called for support from the federal government, World Bank, and other development partners to ensure the success of these initiatives.
The Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Patricia Obila, also spoke on the state’s unique topography and its potential to enhance its renowned Ebonyi Rice production.
She noted the need to introduce tractor mechanization to ensure year-round production and leverage youth participation by incentivizing agriculture with farm settlements equipped with necessary social amenities.
