Nigeria has joined forces with the United Nations and African nations to demand urgent, coordinated measures to tackle worsening food insecurity, emphasizing the need for climate-smart agriculture and technological innovation to transform food systems.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, speaking at the UN Food Systems Summit in Ethiopia, revealed Nigeria’s ambitious strategy leveraging AI, geospatial analytics, and satellite technology to boost production.
“We’re advancing the Presidential Initiative on Food Security to upscale cultivation of maize, rice, cassava, and wheat,” he stated, noting the declaration of a national food emergency had spurred concrete actions rather than mere rhetoric.
The VP highlighted Nigeria’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones – developed with AfDB and IFAD – as “engines of transformation” combining production with value addition.
He urged African nations to unite behind a shared vision: “We must leave here convinced that Africa will succeed… anchored in abundance, equity and human dignity.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stressed the need for predictable funding: “Africa needs concession finance for agriculture, rural transformation, and literacy… climate finance must align with food systems.” He showcased Ethiopia’s comprehensive food roadmap since the 2021 summit.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, via videocast, described the crisis holistically: “Food systems encompass climate, justice, and the right to a better future.”
The summit concluded with consensus on prioritizing infrastructure, climate adaptation, and cross-sector partnerships to build resilient food systems continent-wide.
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