• Hausa Edition
  • Podcast
  • Conferences
  • LeVogue Magazine
  • Business News
  • Print Advert Rates
  • Online Advert Rates
  • Contact Us
Saturday, June 7, 2025
Leadership Newspapers
Read in Hausa
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Football
  • Others
    • LeVogue Magazine
    • Conferences
    • National Economy
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Football
  • Others
    • LeVogue Magazine
    • Conferences
    • National Economy
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Leadership Newspapers
No Result
View All Result

Federal Gov’t Mulls Commodity Board To Tackle Food Security, Price Volatility

We'll deploy security forces to protect farmers, activate more farmlands — VP Shettima

by Jonathan Nda-Isaiah
1 year ago
in News
food security
Share on WhatsAppShare on FacebookShare on XTelegram

The Federal Government has hinted at plans to establish a National Commodity Board as a solution to the escalating food inflation in the country.

Advertisement

In tackling price volatility, the proposed Board will be given the mandate to assess and regulate food prices, as well as maintain a strategic food reserve for stabilising prices of crucial grains and other food items.

Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed this on Tuesday during a two-day high-level strategic meeting on climate change, food systems and resource mobilisation held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Delivering his address titled, “Climate Resilience and Food Security: Nigeria’s Vision for the Future,” Senator Shettima in a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, said the two-day event was an attestation of Nigeria’s efforts at mitigating the effects of climate change and ensuring food security for Nigerians.

Recalling that food security is one of the eight areas of priority declared by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as part of his Renewed Hope Agenda, which led to the declaration of a state of emergency on food security, the VP highlighted ongoing policy reforms by the administration to ensure food and water availability, as well as affordability.

RELATED

IPOB Accuses Courts Of Aiding Nnamdi Kanu’s Detention

Nnamdi Kanu Is Prisoner Of Conscience — IPOB

51 seconds ago
Justice Uwais: Nigeria Lost Statesman Of Unimpeachable Character, Say Northern Senators

Justice Uwais: Nigeria Lost Statesman Of Unimpeachable Character, Say Northern Senators

19 minutes ago

“Our solution to the potential food crisis has become immediate, medium, and long-term strategies. The short-term strategy entails revitalizing food supply through specific interventions like the distribution of fertilizers and grains to farmers and households to counteract the effects of subsidy removal; fostering collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources for efficient farmland irrigation, ensuring year-round food production; and addressing price volatility by establishing a National Commodity Board.

“This board will continually assess and regulate food prices, maintaining a strategic food reserve for stabilizing prices of crucial grains and other food items,” the VP stated.

He assured that while the Tinubu administration was fully invested in the restoration of degraded land, there were ongoing plans “to restore four million hectares, or nearly 10 million acres, of degraded lands within” the nation’s borders as its contribution to the AFR100 Initiative.

On how the government is handling the security challenges that have prevented farmers from working on their farms, he said, “I wish to assure you that we will engage our security architecture to protect the farms and the farmers so that farmers can return to the farmlands without fear of attacks.

“We won’t only make it safe for farmers to return to their farms, but we will also ensure the activation of land banks. There is currently 500,000 hectares of already mapped land that will be used to increase the availability of arable land for farming, which will immediately impact food output.”

VP Shettima added that the Tinubu administration was also collaborating “with mechanization companies to clear more forests and make them available for farming,” even as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) “will also continue to play a major role in funding the agricultural value chain.

“We will deploy concessionary capital to the sector, especially towards fertilizer, processing, mechanization, seeds, chemicals, equipment, feed, labour, among others. The concessionary funds will ensure food is always available and affordable, thereby having a direct impact on Nigeria’s Human Capital Index (HCI). This administration is focused on ensuring the HCI numbers, which currently rank as the 3rd lowest in the world, are improved for increased productivity,” he added.

Senator Shettima also restated frantic efforts by the administration “to ensure a massive boost in employment and job creation”, noting that it “is another presidential area of priority.

“The government will make agriculture attractive for our teeming youth population with a view to creating between 5 to 10 million more jobs for them within the agriculture value chain, working with the current 500,000 hectares of arable land and the several hundreds of thousands more farmlands to be developed in the medium term,” he pointed out.

“These efforts,” the VP continued, “are part of federal government’s bid to actualize the “UN-Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development Goals 2 of “Zero hunger” and African Union Agenda 2063, which aims to transform Africa into a global powerhouse of the future.

“But we can’t achieve this unless we guarantee food security by building the capacity of smallholder farmers who account for about 88% of the total food production in Nigeria,” he further noted.

He implored those at the event, including development partners, private investors and the diplomatic community, among others, to make sure the high-level engagement results in a positive outcome.

Also speaking at the event, National Coordinator of NEPAD, Mrs Gloria Akobundu, praised President Tinubu for his efforts towards making Nigeria a great nation.

“We are happy with the resolve by the administration of President Bola Tinubu to stand undeterred by any odds in his objective to build a viable, effective and great nation,” she said.

Mrs Akobundu said NEPAD decided to convene the stakeholders’ forum in order to strengthen small-holder farmers in Nigeria as a way of addressing food shortage problem in the country.

“We have gathered key stakeholders from across Nigeria and all over the world to commence the resource mobilization conversation for smallholder farmers in Nigeria and Africa and emphasize the urgency of action required in the face of the current and growing food crisis,” she added.

On his part, AU Chairman of Food System, Dr Ibrahim Maiyaki, said the challenges that will confront Africa in the next 20 to 30 years could be tackled through three parameters: the continent’s knowhow, expertise and leadership.

“The demographic challenge the continent is facing can be turned into opportunities for Africa through inclusion, job creation and ability to feed Africa and the rest of the world,” he stated.

Maiyaki called for strong regional integration through food transformation as well as boosting of productivity and economic growth rates through the right policies and governance objectives

Other dignitaries who attended the opening ceremony of the high-level engagement included chairman, Senate Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa, Senator Nasiru Sani Zangon-Daura; chairman, Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, Senator Eze Kenneth Emeka; representatives of the Governors of Bauchi, Edo, Delta and Plateau States, as well as members of the Diplomatic Corps.


We’ve got the edge. Get real-time reports, breaking scoops, and exclusive angles delivered straight to your phone. Don’t settle for stale news. Join LEADERSHIP NEWS on WhatsApp for 24/7 updates →

Join Our WhatsApp Channel

START EARNING US DOLLARS as a Nigerian ($35,000) monthly. Companies are sacking their workers due to AI (artificial intelligence), business owners are in panic mode. Only the smart will make it. Click here


Tags: Food Security
SendShareTweetShare
Previous Post

Gaza: Palestinian Envoy Visits LEADERSHIP, Restates 2-State Solution

Next Post

UK, Nigeria Sign Landmark Partnership To Boost Trade, Investment

Jonathan Nda-Isaiah

Jonathan Nda-Isaiah

You May Like

IPOB Accuses Courts Of Aiding Nnamdi Kanu’s Detention
News

Nnamdi Kanu Is Prisoner Of Conscience — IPOB

2025/06/07
Justice Uwais: Nigeria Lost Statesman Of Unimpeachable Character, Say Northern Senators
News

Justice Uwais: Nigeria Lost Statesman Of Unimpeachable Character, Say Northern Senators

2025/06/07
Easter: CAN Urges Genuine Commitment To Common Good From Political Leaders
News

Eid-el-Kabir: CAN Preaches Unity, Support For Flood Victims

2025/06/07
Why We Established ‘Discoverer Nigeria’ News Platform — Editor
News

Why We Established ‘Discoverer Nigeria’ News Platform — Editor

2025/06/07
Birnin Kebbi LG Distributes 7,200 Foodstuff To 51 Wards
News

Lawmaker Orgainses Training For Rice Farmers In Kebbi

2025/06/07
Death Toll Rises To 7 In Bauchi Zakat Collection Stampede
News

Bauchi Govt, Tertiary Institutions Sign MoU On New Salary Structure

2025/06/07
Leadership Conference advertisement

LATEST

Nnamdi Kanu Is Prisoner Of Conscience — IPOB

Justice Uwais: Nigeria Lost Statesman Of Unimpeachable Character, Say Northern Senators

Eid-el-Kabir: CAN Preaches Unity, Support For Flood Victims

Why We Established ‘Discoverer Nigeria’ News Platform — Editor

Lawmaker Orgainses Training For Rice Farmers In Kebbi

Bauchi Govt, Tertiary Institutions Sign MoU On New Salary Structure

Kwara Man Takes ‘Colo’, Jumps Into Well After Returning From Eid Prayer, Dies

Osimhen Accepts Al Hilal Offer, Agrees Personal Terms With Saudi Club

NUJ Condemns Death Threat Against Adamawa Council Chairman

Ronaldo Turns Down Offers To Play At Club World Cup

© 2025 Leadership Media Group - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Football
  • Others
    • LeVogue Magazine
    • Conferences
    • National Economy
  • Contact Us

© 2025 Leadership Media Group - All Rights Reserved.