FG unveils agric reforms, targets 21m jobs

The Federal Government has announced fresh reforms in the agricultural sector aimed at creating 21 million jobs and boosting food security across Nigeria.

Vice President Kashim Shettima unveiled the measures on Tuesday at the FAO’s National and Subregional Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum in Abuja. He described hunger as “the great equaliser that exposes humanity’s shared vulnerability,” stressing that agriculture remains central to President Bola Tinubu’s economic agenda.

According to a statement by the VP’s media aide, Stanley Nkwocha, the incentives include:

A single-window platform for land registration,

Strengthened agricultural credit systems,

Large-scale mechanisation, and

Expanded irrigation projects.

Shettima said Nigeria has the potential to irrigate over three million hectares of farmland but is currently using less than 10 percent of that capacity. He argued that greater investment in irrigation could triple crop yields, reduce dependence on seasonal farming, and build resilience against climate shocks.

The Vice President also linked the initiative to the 2021–2025 National Development Plan, which targets lifting 35 million Nigerians out of poverty while ensuring food and nutrition sufficiency.

The reforms come amid rising food prices, inflation, and growing pressure on Nigeria to cut reliance on imports following the removal of fuel subsidies and currency reforms.

“Food is not merely a matter of survival, it is a matter of global security,” Shettima declared.