Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for greater accountability in the Federal Government’s food security interventions, insisting that public resources must deliver measurable benefits for farmers, markets and households.
The Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit disclosed this in a statement on Saturday following the seventh meeting of its Steering Committee, chaired by Shettima at the State House in Abuja on Friday.
The meeting brought together state governors, federal ministers, private sector representatives and development partners to assess Nigeria’s food systems and coordinate measures to boost domestic production and improve food availability.
According to the PFSCU, Shettima called for “stronger visibility and accountability across ongoing interventions”, with an emphasis on ensuring that available resources produce tangible results.
The Vice President also urged increased domestic food production while calling for measures to make food more affordable for Nigerians.
He stressed the need for coordinated action by the Federal and state governments, the private sector and other relevant institutions to turn President Bola Tinubu’s food security agenda into measurable outcomes.
With the main harvest season approaching, the committee reviewed measures to support farmers and domestic production, improve the transportation of food from producing areas to consumers and strengthen strategic reserves.
It also considered transportation and logistics challenges, levies, market access and other factors contributing to the cost of food along the supply chain.
The committee said improving the efficiency of food distribution between producing and consuming areas would be crucial to easing pressures across the food supply chain.
The PFSCU Executive Secretary, Marion Moon, said the government would increasingly use evidence to identify areas requiring intervention.
“Our focus is to ensure that the Government has the evidence to act early and precisely – supporting farmers, improving the movement of food, strengthening preparedness and directing interventions to where they can make the greatest difference,” Moon said.
Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, urged policymakers to keep farmers at the centre of agricultural policies, identifying irrigation, inputs, financing, production support and market access as key priorities.
Namadi also called for stronger collaboration between the Federal Government and states to ensure that national agricultural interventions reflect the realities facing farmers at the state level.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy also highlighted the importance of aligning domestic production with trade policy as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s food security and improve the availability and affordability of food.
