… Renews pledge on Ogoni clean-up
… Targets 21m jobs
… Vows transparency in environmental remediation
ABUJA – The Federal Government on Tuesday announced new measures to boost agriculture and food security, while also reaffirming its commitment to the environmental clean-up of Ogoniland.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima, addressing the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) National and Subregional Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum in Abuja, said the administration was pursuing policies that would make access to land and resources easier for genuine investors, as part of efforts to expand agricultural opportunities and attract capital to rural communities.
He explained that the government was determined to drive mechanisation in farming to reduce drudgery and raise productivity, while also strengthening the agricultural credit system to ensure capital flows to where it is needed most.
He added that the expansion of irrigation facilities across the country would help free Nigeria from seasonal dependency on rainfall and build resilience against climate shocks that have continued to affect yields.
According to him, the measures are integral to the Renewed Hope Agenda, which is focused on lifting 35 million Nigerians out of poverty, creating 21 million jobs, and achieving national food and nutrition sufficiency.
He emphasised that hunger has become a global security threat and that no nation can afford to treat food insecurity with complacency.
Shettima said Nigeria has river basins and aquifers capable of irrigating more than three million hectares but currently uses less than ten per cent, stressing that unlocking this potential would drastically improve food production.
He assured investors that government policies are being re-engineered to guarantee transparency, public-private partnerships and the deployment of agri-tech solutions.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, described Nigeria’s vast arable land, large market and growing digital economy as unique investment opportunities across the agribusiness value chain, while Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, said irrigation remains a vital driver of economic diversification and rural transformation.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Lawal, reaffirmed Federal Government’s commitment to the Ogoni clean-up, describing it as both a national obligation and an international test case for environmental justice.
Speaking at a joint meeting of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) Governing Council and the Ogoni Trust Fund Board of Trustees in Abuja, Lawal said the project must be delivered with transparency and accountability.
“The world is watching. We must rise to the occasion and deliver on the mandate with urgency,” he declared.
He called for stronger synergy between the Governing Council and the Board of Trustees to accelerate work and rebuild the confidence of the Ogoni people, stressing that although progress had been made in remediation and livelihood programmes, the pace must be quickened to address decades of neglect.
Chairman of the BOT, Mr. Emmanuel Deeyah, pledged timely payment of contractors and prudent management of resources to ensure effective delivery.
Officials said the combined thrust of agricultural reforms and environmental remediation reflects the Tinubu administration’s determination to tackle hunger, poverty, unemployment and ecological damage, positioning Nigeria as a model of food security and environmental justice in Africa.
