FG Sets Up Committee to Fast-Track Agricultural Interventions, Boost Food Security

The Federal Government has established a technical committee to accelerate agricultural interventions, boost staple crop production and strengthen food security across the country.

The committee, constituted by Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday during a high-level meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, is expected to develop strategies for improving wheat and other staple crop production, as well as livestock development.

Shettima charged members to harmonise ideas and develop a blueprint for the effective implementation of strategic interventions in the agricultural sector.

The meeting followed an earlier engagement with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last week, which brought together stakeholders from the agricultural sector and other critical areas.

According to a statement by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, the committee comprises representatives of relevant federal ministries, government agencies and financial institutions involved in agricultural development.

Members include representatives of the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security, Water Resources and Sanitation, and Livestock Development, alongside officials responsible for presidential livestock reforms, agribusiness, productivity enforcement and food security.

The chief executives of the Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture, National Agricultural Land Development Authority, National Agricultural Seeds Council and National Agricultural Development Fund are also members of the committee.

Other participating agencies include the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation, National Sugar Council of Nigeria, Nigeria Commodities Exchange and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure.

The committee will be coordinated by the Technical Adviser to the Vice President on Agriculture and Head of the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit, Marion Moon.

Speaking after the meeting, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said discussions focused on addressing critical challenges confronting farmers and mobilising available resources to expand wheat production and dry-season farming.

Kyari explained that Tinubu had directed the Vice President to identify existing challenges in the agricultural sector and work towards resolving them.

He added that the government was exploring better coordination among federal, state and local governments to promote year-round farming and improve agricultural productivity.

The minister said the technical committee would coordinate relevant ministries, departments and agencies, develop recommendations and submit its report for further consideration before it is presented to the Vice President and subsequently to the President.

In her presentation, Moon stressed that agricultural development requires a coordinated approach involving all three tiers of government.

She identified gaps in coordination between federal and subnational authorities as a major challenge, urging stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and information-sharing to ensure agricultural policies reflect realities at the state and local government levels.

Moon said aligning federal interventions with ongoing activities in the states would help establish clear priorities, improve implementation and maximise the impact of government investments in agriculture.

The initiative forms part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to strengthen food production, support farmers and improve national food security.