Vice-President Kashim Shettima has announced that the Federal Government is introducing single-window platforms for land registration, strengthening agricultural credit systems, expanding irrigation infrastructure, and scaling up mechanisation as part of reforms to boost Nigeria’s food production potential.
Shettima disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday during the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) National and Subregional Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum. He explained that the new policies are designed to unlock investment opportunities and reposition agriculture under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He noted that the government is providing fresh incentives to encourage agricultural investment, describing the measures as a game-changer for food and infrastructure development.
“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,” Shettima said.
According to him, hunger represents a global security challenge, and Nigeria must take strategic steps to secure a future of abundance. He identified irrigation as a priority, pointing out that the country has river basins and aquifers capable of irrigating over three million hectares of land but is currently using less than ten percent.
“Strategic investment in irrigation alone could triple yields, free us from seasonal dependency, and fortify our resilience against climate shocks,” he stated.
Shettima assured investors that Nigeria is ready for business with policies being re-engineered to attract capital through regulatory reforms, public-private partnerships, and agricultural technology innovation.
“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.
The Vice-President explained that the country’s agricultural blueprint is anchored on the National Development Plan (2021–2025) which targets the creation of 21 million full-time jobs in rural and agrarian communities while lifting 35 million Nigerians out of poverty.
“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 added.
Earlier, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said Nigeria’s domestic market, vast arable land, favourable climate, and rapidly growing digital economy present unique opportunities for investment across the agribusiness ecosystem.
He outlined challenges but emphasised that the government is committed to supporting the agricultural value chain to attract sustainable investments.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, also addressed the forum, noting that much of Nigeria’s economic potential remains untapped, especially in agriculture and irrigation. He stressed that irrigation offers significant promise for economic diversification and transformation, adding that agribusiness remains central to Nigeria’s medium- and long-term development plans under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Dr Demba Sabally, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security of The Gambia, commended the FAO for hosting the forum and praised Nigeria’s leadership in agriculture. He pointed to the country’s progress in rice and cassava value chains as examples other West African nations could emulate.
He further called for peer review among countries in the sub-region, stressing that shared challenges and opportunities can drive regional transformation.
Also speaking, the FAO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr Hussein Gadain, said the Hand-in-Hand Initiative is an “evidence-based, country-led, and country-owned flagship programme” aimed at accelerating agricultural transformation and sustainable 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 explained.
He commended Nigeria for setting clear agricultural development priorities, describing them as catalysts for transformative and sustainable growth within Africa’s agricultural and food systems. Gadain also praised Shettima’s commitment, saying the Vice-President has demonstrated genuine leadership in transforming Nigeria’s agri-food systems.