Vice-President Kashim Shettima has announced fresh incentives to boost agricultural investment, with a target to lift 35 million Nigerians out of poverty and create 21 million full-time jobs in rural and agrarian communities.
He disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) National and Subregional Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum.
Shettima explained that the new reforms would introduce single-window platforms for land registration, strengthen agricultural credit systems, expand irrigation infrastructure, and scale mechanisation to unlock Nigeria’s food production potential.
The Vice-President noted that the government is re-engineering its policies to attract investment through regulatory reforms, public-private partnerships, and agri-tech innovations.
“Nigeria is open for business, and we are ready to partner with you. Let us work hand-in-hand to build a Nigeria and a subregion where no one goes to bed hungry, where rural communities are hubs of wealth creation, and where agriculture is the true foundation of our prosperity,” he said.
Blueprint for jobs
Shettima said the government’s agricultural policy is targeted at creating millions of jobs and ensuring food sufficiency.
“While securing national food and nutrition sufficiency, the vehicle to this future is the quality of policies we have chosen to prioritise.
“At the top of these interventions stands our National Development Plan (2021–2025), which has set forth ambitious but achievable targets.
“This blueprint seeks to lift 35 million Nigerians out of poverty, create 21 million full-time jobs in rural and agrarian communities, and secure national food and nutrition sufficiency through deliberate and strategic investments in agriculture,” he said.
Hunger as a security threat
The Vice-President described hunger as a global security issue that requires urgent collective action.
“Nothing unifies humanity as much as hunger. It is the great equaliser that reveals our vulnerabilities and the shared fragility of our existence. Food is not merely a matter of survival; it is a matter of global security. We must facilitate access to land and resources for serious investors.
“We must drive mechanisation to reduce drudgery and enhance productivity. We must strengthen the agricultural credit system to ensure capital flows to where it is needed most,” he said.
Shettima emphasised that irrigation remained a game-changer for Nigerian agriculture. He pointed out that while Nigeria has river basins and aquifers capable of irrigating more than three million hectares, less than 10% is currently being utilised.
“Strategic investment in irrigation alone could triple yields, free us from seasonal dependency, and fortify our resilience against climate shocks,” he added.
More insights
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, noted that Nigeria’s domestic market, large arable land, favourable weather, and fast-growing digital economy provide unique opportunities for agribusiness investment.
Similarly, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, stressed that agriculture, especially irrigation, holds significant potential for economic diversification. He described agribusiness as central to the national development plan and the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Gambian Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security, Dr Demba Sabally, praised Nigeria’s progress in rice and cassava value chains, urging West African countries to adopt peer-review mechanisms to share lessons.
The FAO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr Hussein Gadain, described the Hand-in-Hand Initiative as evidence-based, country-led, and country-owned, designed to accelerate agricultural transformation and rural development.
“The programme is designed to accelerate agricultural transformation and sustainable rural development. It is squarely aimed at eradicating poverty, ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition, and reducing inequalities,” he said.
He also commended Nigeria’s agricultural priorities and lauded Vice-President Shettima’s leadership in transforming agri-food systems.
