FG Targets 35m Out of Poverty, 21m Jobs With Agri Reforms

Vice-President Kashim Shettima, yesterday, announced that the Federal Government is rolling out single-window platforms for land registration, strengthening agricultural credit systems, expanding irrigation infrastructure, and scaling mechanisation to unlock Nigeria’s food production potential.

Speaking at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) National and Subregional Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum, Shettima said the reforms—anchored on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda—are designed to lift 35 million Nigerians out of poverty and create 21 million full-time jobs in rural and agrarian communities.

According to him, hunger has become both an economic and global security issue, making it urgent for Nigeria to mobilise its strengths to secure “a future of abundance.”

“Food is not merely a matter of survival, it is a matter of global security. We must facilitate access to land and resources for serious investors. We must strengthen agricultural credit to ensure capital flows to where it is needed most,” Shettima said.

The Vice-President underscored irrigation as a game-changer, noting that Nigeria has the capacity to irrigate over three million hectares of farmland but is currently using less than ten per cent. “Strategic investment in irrigation alone could triple yields, free us from seasonal dependency, and fortify our resilience against climate shocks,” he said.

Shettima assured investors that Nigeria is re-engineering its policies 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 added.

The blueprint, contained in Nigeria’s National Development Plan (2021–2025), targets food security, job creation and poverty reduction. Analysts say if executed, the initiatives could significantly reduce Nigeria’s N2 trillion annual food import bill, strengthen rural incomes, and accelerate GDP growth through agriculture, which already contributes about 25 per cent to the economy.

Earlier, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, said Nigeria’s vast arable land, domestic market and growing digital economy present unique opportunities for agribusiness investment. Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, also stressed that irrigation holds “significant promise for economic diversification and transformation.”

International participants, including Dr Demba Sabally, The Gambia’s Minister of Agriculture, and Dr Hussein Gadain, FAO’s representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, commended the country’s agricultural priorities as catalysts for sustainable transformation across Africa’s agri-food systems.