Vice President Kashim Shettima has highlighted the efforts of the Tinubu administration to ensure food security in Nigeria.

According to Shettima, 250,000 farmers have been insured across eight states, the 30 per cent Value Addition Bill is advancing, and the N250 billion Bank of Agriculture facility is being activated to reach smallholders. He stated this at the 152nd meeting of the National Economic Council held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Shettima also revealed that the Green Imperative Project with Brazil is being repositioned for financing, while the World Bank-backed AGROW programme is mapping priority value chains for roll-out. Additionally, the Harvesting Hope Caravan has reached half a million citizens in eight states, building trust and grassroots mobilisation.

Tayo Aduloju, CEO of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, briefed the Council members on the forthcoming NESG summit in Abuja. He drew attention to global trends and risks, including uneven growth, divergent inflation and policy, rising geopolitical tension, and climate and shifts in technology.

Aduloju highlighted key challenges to economic planning in Nigeria, such as structural bottlenecks, energy and transport deficiencies, foreign exchange liquidity crisis, and over-reliance on oil weakening fiscal sustainability.

He also noted that political economy risks, including political instability, frequent policy reversals, and corruption, hinder long-term reform. The upcoming 2027 election may further contribute to delaying necessary actions. Aduloju called on the government at all levels to support the forthcoming NESG summit, aimed at driving industrialisation-led growth.

The summit will explore topics such as “Building Infrastructure for Competitiveness and Unlocking Investment amid Global Shifts” and “One Nigeria, Many Markets: A Forum for Subnational Competitiveness.” Members of the council agreed to actively participate in the summit to synergise ideas and mobilise support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.