The Federal Government has announced new incentives to drive agricultural growth and investment under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed this in Abuja at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) National and Subregional Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum.
He said the administration is introducing measures such as single-window platforms for land registration, expanded agricultural credit systems, irrigation development, and mechanisation to unlock Nigeria’s vast food production potential.
Shettima described hunger as a global security threat, stressing that Nigeria must harness its resources to secure food sufficiency and economic prosperity.
“Strategic investment in irrigation alone could triple yields, free us from seasonal dependency, and fortify our resilience against climate shocks,” the Vice President said.
The government’s agricultural blueprint, he added, aims to create 21 million full-time jobs in rural and agrarian communities, lift 35 million Nigerians out of poverty, and guarantee food and nutrition security by 2025.
Shettima assured investors that Nigeria’s policies are being re-engineered to attract capital through regulatory reforms, public-private partnerships and agri-tech innovation. “Nigeria is open for business, and we are ready to partner with you,” he said.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, presented Nigeria’s country profile, highlighting opportunities across the agribusiness value chain, while Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, underscored the potential of agriculture and irrigation for economic diversification.
The Gambia’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security, Dr Demba Sabally, praised Nigeria’s success in rice and cassava value chains and called for peer review mechanisms among West African nations.
The FAO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr Hussein Gadain, described the Hand-in-Hand Initiative as a flagship programme to eradicate poverty and hunger, and commended Vice President Shettima’s leadership and passion for agricultural transformation.
Also speaking, the Head of the EU Delegation in Nigeria, Mr Gautier Mignot, reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s agricultural sector, citing an investment of over €80 million in value chain development across seven states.
Hamza Alkali
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