Reviving Lake Chad key to ending hunger in Africa, says Shettima

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has called for the urgent revival of Lake Chad as a strategic move to enhance food security and support Nigeria’s Green Revolution efforts.

Speaking at the UN Food Systems Summit +4 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Wednesday, Shettima said restoring the shrinking lake is vital to achieving sustainable and inclusive food systems across Africa.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the vice-president made the remarks during a panel session on government-led strategies and regional frameworks for food transformation.

“The revival of Lake Chad is crucial to rebuilding sustainable and inclusive food systems in the region and across Africa,” he said.

Shettima explained that climate change, environmental degradation, and conflict have deeply impacted the region, but insisted that a coordinated, multi-pronged approach is the way forward.

He listed infrastructure development, conflict resolution, and regional cooperation as essential components of that recovery plan.

Rejecting Africa’s dependency on international aid, Shettima urged governments on the continent to pursue self-sustaining policies instead of waiting for handouts.

“We believe charity is not the answer. In Africa, we say that when you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day,” he said.

Highlighting the Nigerian government’s efforts under President Bola Tinubu, Shettima said decisive steps have been taken to combat hunger and improve food access, especially in crisis-hit communities.

“Our target is to attain food sovereignty. So long as a nation is not independent in the area of food sovereignty, it remains a non-sovereign nation,” he said.

He said the declaration of a state of emergency on food security by Tinubu was a proactive measure driven by concern for citizens in vulnerable regions, particularly areas affected by Boko Haram insurgency.

“Not out of fear, but out of genuine concern for the welfare of our people,” Shettima said of the emergency declaration.

With more than 25 million Nigerians living in fragile zones, the vice-president noted that the government is now adopting coordinated agricultural policies aimed at long-term transformation.

“Our belief is that agriculture should be market-driven,” he said.

”The whole mantra is about increasing yields. Entrepreneurial capitalism is embedded in the psyche of the average Nigerian.”