The federal government has restated its commitment to addressing the food security challenges to ensure that no Nigerian goes to bed hungry.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said this on Saturday at the Green Agric West Africa Expo (GAWA) 2025 in Lagos.

The agro expo with the theme “Green Agriculture: The Path to Food Self-Sufficiency in West Africa” had farmers and stakeholders in the agricultural value chain in attendance.

Mr Kyari, represented by the Ministry’s Lagos State coordinator, Omolara Abimbola-Oguntuyi, said Nigeria needs long and medium-term sustainable plans to address food insecurity.

He said the federal government was investing in commercial agriculture and adopting modern agricultural techniques such as irrigation green technology, among others.

“What we are doing now, providing palliatives to Nigerians, will not solve our problems because these are shorter-term solutions.

“We are initiating medium- and long-term sustainable solutions that will address the problem of insecurity and food insecurity in Nigeria.

“The only alternative we have is to invest in commercial agriculture, modern agriculture, irrigated agriculture, green technology, emerging technology and so on.

“Our population is growing in a quick geometrical ratio while our food supply is dwindling; unless something is being done, we shall never get rid of these problems,” he said.

Mr Kyari described agriculture as the backbone of West Africa’s economies and key to sustainable development.

The minister said the policies on nutritious food would promote sustainable farming methods and ensure the long-term viability of agricultural ecosystems.

He said the federal government would continue to promote sustainable farming methods to protect biodiversity, conserve natural resources, and ensure the long-term viability of agricultural ecosystems.

According to him, this also includes facilitating networking opportunities by creating valuable networking opportunities for businesses, investors, and entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector.

“Further, attention is being paid to the aspect of food security, emphasising the need for sustainable agricultural practices and policies that ensure access to nutritious food for all.

“I would also like to emphasise that the private sector will remain in the lead as process drivers for the agricultural sector,” he said.

In his keynote, Lateef Sanni, the executive director, Nigeria Stock Product Research Institute, urged the government to prioritise the timely release of credit facilities to farmers.

He said, “The government needs to encourage the youth to go into farming, and for our youths to take up farming, they need credit facilities.”

(NAN)