Hunger: VP Shettima Inaugurates Presidential Food Systems Unit

Vice President Kashim Shettima inaugurated the Presidential Food Systems Coordination Unit (PFSCU) on Friday, as part of President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s efforts to tackle hunger and hardship in Nigeria.

The Presidency has engaged states, development partners, and other critical stakeholders to address soaring commodity prices and general food insecurity.

According to a statement by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, the Vice President emphasized, “The nation is facing a rare food security crisis, and the sooner we come to terms with the reality, the better.”

“Food insecurity endangers the very basis of our democratic experiment, and this is why all hands have to be on deck. We are in a food security crisis, but it also provides us the opportunity to re-engineer and reposition the nation on a firmer footing,” he added.

Outlining the PFSCU’s mandate, the Vice President clarified that the unit was not created to usurp the Ministry of Agriculture’s functions. Instead, the urgency and seriousness of the situation require the collaboration of all stakeholders.

Sen. Shettima referenced the Green Imperative Programme, a government-catalyzed, private sector-driven agricultural industrialization initiative, as a key project for the PFSCU to activate and operationalize.

He stated that with improved farming practices, better seeds, and the use of fertilizers, Nigeria’s agricultural productivity could significantly improve.

Earlier, state governors in the committee outlined plans to modernize farming practices, increase crop yields, and transform Nigeria into a self-sufficient food producer.