Vice President Kashim Shettima has disclosed the critical reasons behind the Tinubu administration’s declaration of a national food emergency, citing insecurity, displacement, and the need for sustainable agricultural reform.
Speaking at the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake in Ethiopia, Shettima said, “We met the nation in a very state of affairs,” referencing the administration’s early days. He described the North-East’s challenges, with insurgent activity limiting farming operations and access to food.
The government, he noted, launched several initiatives, among them the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Units, which are meant to consolidate and optimize national food programs.
Efforts also include enabling internally displaced persons to farm within camps to restore self-reliance. “It’s about giving them resilience, dignity,” Shettima said.
The administration has shifted focus toward mechanized farming and market-driven solutions. “Our belief is that agriculture should be market driven,” he said, emphasizing the role of smallholder farmers and youth in transforming the sector.
Amina Mohammed of the UN emphasized the scale of global hunger, warning that short-term fixes won’t suffice: “We must choose transformation over dependency.”