Nigeria: Domestic production increases thanks to Vice President Shettima who leads the FG committee

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to placing Nigerian farmers at the heart of the country’s food security and domestic production, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for a more productive, resilient and food-secure Nigeria.

Against this backdrop, a Presidential Food Systems Coordination Unit (PFSCU) Steering Committee was established to advance the administration’s current vision for stronger domestic production, efficient food markets, and a resilient national food system.

Chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the seventh meeting of the Committee, which held on Friday at the State House, Abuja, brought together governors, federal ministers, private sector and development partners.

Among other functions, they are expected to review the outlook for Nigeria’s food systems and strengthen coordination around priority areas requiring action.

As the main harvest period represents an important opportunity, discussions focused on supporting farmers and domestic production, improving the movement of food from production areas to consumers, strengthening strategic reserves and ensuring that government interventions are directed where they can have the greatest impact.

Speaking at the meeting, Vice President Shettima stressed that under the leadership of President Tinubu, Government will continue to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to produce more food, while ensuring that Nigerian families have access to affordable food.

Shettima called for greater visibility and accountability in ongoing interventions, placing greater emphasis on ensuring that available resources translate into tangible results for Nigerian farmers, markets and families.

“The PFSCU Steering Committee provides a national platform to coordinate federal, state and local government action with the private sector, security institutions and development partners across Nigeria’s food system.” he said.

While underlining the importance of coordinated action between federal and state governments, the private sector and relevant institutions, the Vice President also insisted on the need to translate that vision into measurable results.

The strategic meeting committee also examined the role of transportation, logistics, taxes, market access and other distribution factors in determining the final cost of food, highlighting the need to improve the efficiency with which food moves between production and consumption areas.

In her speech, PFSCU Executive Secretary Marion Moon said: “Our goal is to ensure the government has the evidence to act quickly and accurately, supporting farmers, improving the movement of food, strengthening preparedness and targeting interventions where they can make the greatest difference.”

Speaking from the perspective of producing states,

Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State, one of the governors of producing states, has highlighted the importance of keeping farmers at the center of agricultural policy through continuous attention to irrigation, inputs, financing, production support and access to markets.

He also underlined the importance of greater coordination between the State and the Federation to ensure that national interventions respond effectively to the realities on the ground.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, in his speech, also underlined the need to align national production and trade policy so that they reinforce each other.

The committee noted that trade measures can complement domestic production and help address experienced supply gaps, but should be considered alongside strategic reserves, market conditions and the need to support incentives for Nigerian farmers and agribusinesses.

The meeting further examined the stability and resilience of Nigeria’s food system, with an emphasis on using better intelligence to identify where production, market, nutrition or security pressures are emerging.

Interested institutions are expected to increasingly direct interventions to states, markets and communities where the evidence indicates the greatest need.

The committee also reviewed progress made on key food systems initiatives

These include the $500 million Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains for Growth (AGROW) programme, the PFSCU design and coordination phase of which has been completed and transferred to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and participating States; the national agri-food policy mechanism; development of the National Agro-productive System; and the National Food and Nutrition Crisis Preparedness Framework, anchored by the Office of the National Security Advisor.

These initiatives are strengthening the government’s ability to understand what farmers intend to produce, monitor seasonal production, anticipate emerging risks, and improve coordination between federal and state interventions.