The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to placing Nigerian farmers at the centre of the country’s food-security and domestic-production drive, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for a more productive, resilient and food-secure Nigeria.
Against the backdrop, a steering committee of the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU) aimed at advancing present administration vision for stronger domestic production, efficient food markets, and resilient national food system has been put in place.
Chaired by the Vice President Kashim Shettima, the 7th meeting of the Committee, which was held at the State House, Abuja, on Friday, brought together governors, federal ministers, the private sector and development partners.
Among other functions, they are expected to review Nigeria’s food-systems outlook and strengthen coordination around priority areas requiring action.
With the main harvest period presenting an important opportunity, discussions focused on supporting farmers and domestic production, improving the movement of food from producing areas to consumers, strengthening strategic reserves and ensuring that Government interventions are directed to where they can have the greatest impact.
Speaking at the meeting, Vice President Shettima emphasised that under President Tinubu’s leadership, the government will continue to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to produce more of its own food while ensuring that Nigerian families have access to food at affordable prices.
Shettima called for stronger visibility and accountability across ongoing interventions, with greater emphasis on ensuring that available resources translate into tangible outcomes for farmers, markets, and Nigerian households.
“The PFSCU Steering Committee provides a national platform for coordinating federal, state, and local government action with the private sector, security institutions, and development partners across Nigeria’s food system.” he said.
While stressing the importance of coordinated action across federal and state governments, the private sector, and relevant institutions, the vice president also harped on the need to translate that vision into measurable results.
The committee at the strategic gathering also examined the role of transportation, logistics, levies, market access and other distribution factors in determining the final cost of food, underscoring the need to improve the efficiency with which food moves between producing and consuming areas.
Giving her remarks, the PFSCU Executive Secretary, Ms Marion Moon said: “Our focus is to ensure that the government has the evidence to act early and precisely, supporting farmers, improving the movement of food, strengthening preparedness and directing interventions to where they can make the greatest difference.”
Speaking from the perspective of producing states,
Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa state, one of the governors from the producing states, emphasised the importance of keeping farmers at the centre of agricultural policy through continued attention to irrigation, inputs, financing, production support and access to markets.
He also highlighted the value of stronger Federal–State coordination towards ensuring that national interventions respond effectively to realities on the ground.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, in his contribution, also stressed the need to align domestic production and trade policy so that they reinforce one another.
The committee noted that trade measures can complement domestic production and help address verified supply gaps but should be considered alongside strategic reserves, market conditions, and the need to sustain incentives for Nigerian farmers and agribusinesses
The meeting further considered the stability and resilience of Nigeria’s food system, with emphasis on using better intelligence to identify where production, market, nutrition, or security pressures are emerging.
Relevant institutions are expected to increasingly target interventions to the states, markets, and communities where the evidence indicates the greatest need.
The committee also reviewed progress across major food-systems initiatives
These include the US$500 million Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value-Chains for Growth programme (AGROW), whose PFSCU design and coordination phase has been completed and transitioned to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and participating States; the National Agribusiness Policy Mechanism; development of the National Agro-Productivity System; and the National Food and Nutrition Crisis Preparedness Framework anchored in the Office of the National Security Adviser.
These initiatives are strengthening the government’s ability to understand what farmers intend to produce, monitor in-season production, anticipate emerging risks, and improve coordination across federal and state interventions.
