By Abdullahi Lukman
Nigeria has shifted its approach to food security, treating it as a core macroeconomic, security and governance issue rather than a purely agricultural concern, Vice President Kashim Shettima has said.
Speaking at a high-level panel, “When Food Becomes Security,” at the 56th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Shettima said the Federal Government has launched a multi-dimensional agricultural strategy aimed at shielding the country from global supply shocks and restoring productivity across key food-producing regions.
In a statement issued by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, on January 22, 2026, the Vice President said food security now underpins national stability, inflation control and regional cohesion, explaining that the new strategy rests on three pillars: boosting food production, promoting environmental sustainability and strengthening regional integration within West Africa.
Shettima said global disruptions and climate pressures have forced Nigeria to rebuild resilient food systems tailored to its diverse ecological zones.
While the Sahelian North faces desertification, deforestation and drought, he noted that flooding remains a major challenge in the South and parts of the North Central region.
To address these risks, the government is promoting drought-resistant, flood-tolerant and early-maturing crop varieties, including rice, sorghum and millet, while redesigning food systems in flood-prone areas to withstand climate shocks.
Security challenges, he added, remain a major constraint, as many conflict-affected areas double as Nigeria’s main food baskets.
To tackle this, the government is creating food security corridors and strengthening community-based security initiatives to enable farmers return safely to their farms.
The Vice President also disclosed the launch of the Back to the Farm Initiative, which seeks to resettle displaced farmers by providing inputs, insurance and access to finance to restart agricultural production.
On macroeconomic pressures, Shettima identified import dependence and foreign exchange volatility as key drivers of food inflation.
He said Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imported wheat, sugar and dairy has worsened price instability, prompting a push for local production and the use of substitutes such as sorghum, millet and cassava flour.
He said the reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda are positioning agriculture as a frontline response to economic and security threats, with plans to make smallholder farmers and fishers investable at scale within the next year.
Shettima also stressed the growing importance of intra-African trade, urging African leaders to deepen cooperation under the African Continental Free Trade Area to strengthen domestic systems and boost trade across the continent.
He expressed optimism that ongoing reforms will accelerate climate adaptation efforts and drive a significant increase in intra-African trade in the coming months.
