Vice President Kashim Shettima has announced that the federal government plans to introduce single window platforms for land registration, strengthen agricultural credit systems, expand irrigation infrastructure, and scale up mechanization.
According to a statement on Tuesday, September 16, by Shettima’s spokesperson, Stanley Nkwocha, the vice president made these remarks in Abuja during the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations national and sub regional Hand in Hand Investment Forum.
He said, “We must facilitate access to land and resources for serious investors. We must drive mechanization to reduce drudgery and enhance productivity.
“We must strengthen the agricultural credit system to ensure capital flows to where it is needed most.”
Shettima also noted that Nigeria’s irrigation potential remains largely untapped, with less than 10 percent of the country’s 3 million hectares of irrigable land currently in use.
He emphasized that investment in irrigation could be transformative for Nigeria, potentially tripling agricultural yields, reducing seasonal dependence, and enhancing the nation’s resilience to climate related shocks.
He further stated that while hunger constitutes a global security challenge, Nigeria must leverage its resources and strengths to ensure a future of food abundance.
“Nothing unifies humanity as much as hunger. It is the great equalizer that reveals our vulnerabilities and the shared fragility of our existence,” he said.
He noted that Nigeria is open to agri tech investors, as the country’s policies undergo reforms to attract capital through public-private partnerships and innovation.
He added, “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 sub region 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.”
Shettima further stated that Nigeria is prepared to collaborate with relevant stakeholders and investors to implement its agricultural blueprint, aiming to create 21 million full-time jobs in rural and agrarian communities while ensuring national food and nutrition security.
He noted, “The vehicle to this future is the quality of policies we have chosen to prioritize.
“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.”
Abubakar Kyai, minister of agriculture and food security, highlighted that the country’s domestic market, extensive arable land, favorable climate, and rapidly growing digital economy offer unique investment opportunities.
Hussein Gadain, FAO representative in Nigeria, described the Hand in Hand initiative as FAO’s flagship programme, aimed at accelerating agricultural transformation and promoting sustainable rural development.
He noted that the programme seeks to eradicate poverty, eliminate hunger and malnutrition, and reduce inequalities as part of efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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