Nigeria is set to roll out a sweeping food security programme tagged the “Back to Farm” Initiative as part of a broader strategy to strengthen national stability, reduce import dependence, and shield the economy from global supply shocks. The plan was unveiled by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Speaking during a high-level session titled When Food Becomes Security at the Congress Centre, Shettima said the Tinubu administration views food security as a strategic national priority that goes beyond agriculture. He explained that the initiative links farming to macroeconomic stability, internal security, and effective governance, positioning food production as a tool for national cohesion and regional stability.
According to the Vice President, the new strategy rests on boosting domestic food production, ensuring environmental sustainability, and deepening regional integration across West Africa. He said these pillars are designed to protect Nigeria from disruptions in global supply chains while strengthening local capacity.
Shettima highlighted Nigeria’s ecological diversity and the challenges it presents to agriculture. He noted that the Sahelian North is battling desertification, deforestation, and drought, while flooding continues to threaten farming communities in the riverine South and parts of the North Central zone. To respond, the federal government is introducing drought-resistant, flood-tolerant, and fast-maturing varieties of key staples such as rice, sorghum, and millet, alongside redesigned food systems for flood-prone areas.
Addressing insecurity in major food-producing belts, the Vice President said the government is creating food security corridors and strengthening community-based security arrangements to enable farmers to safely return to their lands. Central to this effort is the Back to Farm Initiative, which aims to resettle displaced farmers and support them with inputs, insurance cover, and access to capital.
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Shettima also linked Nigeria’s food challenges to wider economic pressures, noting that heavy reliance on imported wheat, sugar, and dairy products has worsened inflation, especially amid foreign exchange volatility. He said the administration plans to significantly scale up local production while promoting alternatives such as sorghum, millet, and cassava flour to correct long-standing structural imbalances.
Under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Shettima said Nigeria is repositioning itself to unlock the full potential of agriculture by making smallholder farmers and fishers attractive to investors at scale within the shortest possible time. He added that stronger intra-African trade, driven by the African Continental Free Trade Area, has become critical in a changing global landscape and called on African countries to deepen collaboration.
The Davos announcement signals Nigeria’s intent to place agriculture at the centre of its economic recovery and national security strategy, as the government moves to translate policy commitments into measurable gains in food production, rural livelihoods, and regional trade.
