Vice-President Kashim Shettima, says Nigeria, renowned as the African giant, has woken up from its slumber under the dynamic and purposeful leadership of President Bola Tinubu.

Shettima spoke at a high-level panel titled “When Food Becomes Security” at the Congress Centre during the 56th World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

He expressed optimism that with the ongoing Renewed Hope Agenda reforms, the coming months will witness greater climate adaptation moving from pilot to reality, as well as a boom in intra-African trade far beyond 10.7 per cent.
The Vice-President said that the Tinubu led-Federal Government is on course to make it possible for smallholders and fishers to become investable at scale within 12 months.
Shettima has announced that Nigeria no longer views food security through a narrow agricultural lens, but as a fundamental macroeconomic, security, and governance issue.
He said the Federal Government had begun a multi-dimensional agricultural drive designed to insulate the nation from global shocks while restoring the productivity of its food basket regions.
VP Shettima said the Federal Government no longer treats food security as a narrow agricultural concern but as a strategic pillar for governance, economic stability, and regional cohesion.
“In Nigeria, we don’t look at food security purely as an agricultural issue. It is a macroeconomic, security and governance issue.
” Our focus is to use food security as a pillar for national security, regional cohesion and stability.

“Nigeria’s food security strategy is anchored on three pillars: increased food production, environmental sustainability, and deeper regional integration within the West African sub-region,” Shettima said.
He explained that changing global trends and supply chain disruptions have compelled Nigeria to look inward and rebuild its agricultural base by developing resilient food systems tailored to its diverse ecological zones.

“Nigeria is a very large country, and there is an incestuous relationship between economy and ecology. In the Sahelian North, we are dealing with desertification, deforestation and drought.
“In the riverine South and parts of the North Central, flooding is our major challenge.”
The Vice-President said the government is promoting drought-resistant, flood-tolerant, and early-maturing varieties of staple crops such as rice, sorghum, and millet, while redesigning food systems in flood-prone southern regions to withstand climate shocks.
He noted that security remains a major constraint, particularly because many conflict-affected areas are also Nigeria’s primary food-producing zones.
“Most of the food baskets of our nation are security-challenged. That is why we are creating food security corridors and strengthening community-based security engagements so farmers can return safely to their land.”
He disclosed that the Federal Government has launched the Back to the Farm Initiative, a programme designed to resettle displaced farmers by providing them with agricultural inputs, insurance, and access to capital to restart food production.

The Vice-President identified import dependence and foreign exchange volatility as major drivers of food inflation.

“We largely import wheat, sugar and dairy products, and this has a direct impact on inflation.

“Our strategy is to accelerate local production and promote substitutes such as sorghum, millet and cassava flour to correct these structural imbalances,”  Shettima said.

The Vice-President said Nigeria’s approach aligns food security with national stability, inflation control, and regional cooperation, positioning agriculture as a frontline response to both economic and security threats.

He urged his African counterparts to intensify efforts under the canopy of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to ensure that African nations get things right internally.

The Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the Rivers State Governor, Dr. Darlington Oji, has disclosed that about 15 Special Advisers to the governor were duly approved by the Rivers State House of Assembly before the current political crisis in the State.

Oji made the disclosure in a Television programme in Port Harcourt, recently, while reacting to issues surrounding appointments, the impeachment moves against the governor and his deputy, and allegations of financial mismanagement.

He clarified that the appointment of Special Advisers was carried out in strict compliance with constitutional provisions, and received the approval of the Rivers State House of Assembly under the leadership of the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, before the crisis began.

According to the Special Adviser, the appointments did not require any further screening, countering claims that the governor violated due process in constituting his advisory team.

On the impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, Oji described the process as unfounded and lacking constitutional backing.

He said that several lawmakers who initially supported the impeachment move were now reconsidering their stance after discovering that the process had no legal basis.

Oji also attributed the impeachment plot to personal and political ambitions, saying it is not motivated by the interest or welfare of the people of Rivers State.

Speaking on the financial position of the State after the Emergency Rule, the Special Adviser disclosed that the governor met about ?600 billion in the state’s coffers upon assumption of office.

He explained that the availability of funds enabled the administration to continue governance smoothly without the need for a supplementary budget.

The governor’s aide also refuted allegations of financial mismanagement against the governor, and stressed that all allocations to lawmakers and constituency projects were transparently handled.

He maintained that the Fubara administration remained focused on development, stability, and good governance despite the political distractions in the State.

Oji expressed confidence that the impeachment moves would eventually be abandoned as legislators and the public become more informed, adding that the governor’s leadership has continued to reassure citizens and sustain political stability in the State.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has said Nigeria will begin exporting urea in 2028 as the country positions itself as a major hub for value-added oil and gas products.

The authority also disclosed that Nigeria would soon commence large-scale fertiliser exports.

The Chief Executive of NMDPRA, Saidu Mohammed, made this known while fielding questions from journalists during a tour of facilities at Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemicals Limited in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State on Wednesday.

The visit was part of his three-day tour of selected midstream and downstream oil and gas facilities in Rivers State.

According to Mohammed, Nigeria is striving to become a major hub for value-added products in the oil and gas industry, noting that the midstream sector is critical and requires significant investment to unlock its full potential.

He said the country had no reason to continue importing value-added products such as urea and fertilisers, particularly given the scale of private-sector investments currently being made in the sector.

“The midstream segment of the oil and gas business is a tremendous one that requires massive investment. We need between $30bn and $50bn today if we are to put Nigeria on the right footing as a hub not only for oil and gas but also for secondary derivatives,” he said.

“Value-added products like fertilisers and urea are things Nigeria has no business importing. With the expansion going on at Indorama and several other facilities, including Dangote Fertiliser, I am confident that within the next 24 months, Nigeria will join the league of urea-exporting countries, which is where we should be.

“And this is not just about being an energy hub, but also a hub for secondary derivatives of oil and gas,” Mohammed added.

The NMDPRA boss commended Indorama for its level of investment, describing it as a clear demonstration of the kind of development Nigeria needs in the midstream sector.

“It is a manifestation of what Nigeria needs. We require more midstream investments — fertiliser plants and other value-addition initiatives on our hydrocarbon resources — to propel the nation forward,” he said.

Explaining the choice of Rivers State for the facility tour, Mohammed said the state was selected because of its strategic importance to Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, hosting key national assets including refineries, processing plants and manufacturing facilities.

“The midstream and downstream segments are well represented in Rivers State. Whatever aspect of gas processing, manufacturing or refining we want to see, we can find it here.

“We selected a few facilities to give us an overview of activities in the sector. That is the essence of this visit,” he said.

He added that the authority’s role was to create an enabling environment for operators to thrive while attracting additional investments into the sector.

“The authority is here to facilitate, provide support, and create the right environment for operators to expand investments, while we also attract more investors into the sector,” Mohammed said.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemicals Limited, Mr Munish Jindal, said the visit was important as it allowed the regulator to better appreciate operations, achievements and challenges in the midstream sector.

Jindal, who noted that Indorama had been operating in Nigeria for over 20 years, said the NMDPRA chief had played a role in the establishment of the company.

“We thank the authorities for the understanding they have developed over the years for the midstream industry. In the early days, it was challenging to explain our operational realities and needs, but that understanding has significantly improved over the past 18 years,” he said.

While expressing appreciation for the current regulatory framework, Jindal said some existing provisions were no longer relevant to midstream manufacturing companies and had requested exemptions.

“There are one or two issues that may benefit the oil and gas industry generally, but are no longer relevant to midstream manufacturers like us. We have requested that the authority look into these areas and consider exemptions where appropriate,” he said.

The tour of midstream and downstream facilities in Rivers State by the NMDPRA chief and his team ends on Friday (today) with Mohammed indicating that further visits to facilities in other states would follow, noting that three days were insufficient to cover all relevant areas.