By Faridat Salifu
Vice President Kashim Shettima has warned that Nigeria’s food security challenges are rooted not only in climate change and insecurity, but in a generational disconnect from agriculture.
He said the steady removal of agriculture from schools has weakened young people’s relationship with food production and contributed to declining interest in farming.
Shettima made the remarks on Saturday in Abuja at the General Assembly of Farmers, where he was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, Uju Rochas-Anwukah.
The Vice President said agriculture must be restored in schools as a lived experience rather than a theoretical subject.
He called for school farms and agriculture clubs that allow students to engage directly with land, crops, and agribusiness practices.
According to him, exposing children early to farming will help redefine agriculture as a viable business and nation-building profession.
Shettima said years of portraying farming as a fallback option for those who “failed” in other careers has damaged the sector and discouraged innovation.
He said this perception has cost the country jobs, food self-sufficiency, and economic stability.
The Vice President urged political leaders and public institutions to lead by example by investing directly in agriculture.
He said leadership must move beyond policy statements to practical involvement in farming activities.
Shettima added that institutional farms run by the military, paramilitary agencies, and the National Youth Service Corps should be strengthened to support food production.
Also speaking at the event, Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd), said insecurity remains one of the biggest obstacles facing farmers.
He assured that security agencies are working to improve protection in farming communities and encouraged farmers to share intelligence on emerging threats.
The President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Dr Farouk Mudi, said rising costs, climate stress, and conflict are pushing farming beyond the reach of many producers.
He cited erratic rainfall, flooding, and sharp increases in fertiliser and agrochemical prices as major constraints.
Mudi said Nigeria’s continued dependence on food imports reflects deeper structural problems in the agricultural sector.
He warned that without deliberate investment in youth engagement, security, and climate-smart practices, the country risks further weakening its food systems.
Once a cornerstone of education and rural livelihoods, agriculture has gradually lost prominence in Nigerian schools, leaving a widening gap between young people and the land that feeds the nation.