Nigeria has unveiled ambitious plans to leverage cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and satellite-driven climate tools, to address food insecurity and reshape its agricultural sector. Vice-President Kashim Shettima announced the strategy during his keynote address at the United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Monday, framing the initiative as part of a broader global effort to combat hunger and climate-driven disruptions.
Speaking at the summit, which aims to accelerate sustainable food systems transformation, Shettima emphasized Nigeria’s integration of AI, geospatial analytics, and climate intelligence into farming practices. These tools, he explained, will monitor crop production, reduce waste, and digitally connect rural farmers to domestic and international markets. The approach aligns with Nigeria’s National Development Plan 2021–2025 and its Agenda 2050, which prioritize food security as a cornerstone of economic resilience.
“The Fourth Industrial Revolution has gifted us instruments once confined to the imagination,” Shettima stated, highlighting partnerships with the African Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to develop Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones. These hubs aim to attract private investment, create jobs, and modernize supply chains while linking small-scale producers to larger markets.
Beyond boosting crop yields, Nigeria is expanding nutrition-focused initiatives. Shettima cited the Nutrition 774 program, which decentralizes food security efforts by placing all 774 local governments in charge of tailored nutrition delivery. School meal programs, community education campaigns, and a newly approved National Multi-Sectoral Plan for Food and Nutrition further underscore the government’s focus on systemic health outcomes. “A sustainable food system must also be a healthy one,” he asserted, noting the establishment of dedicated Nutrition Departments across federal ministries to institutionalize reforms.
The urgency of such measures was echoed by global leaders at the summit. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking via video, warned that climate change and economic inequality are “destroying harvests and supply chains,” with rising hunger rates signaling a crisis of “justice and equity.” Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called for increased climate financing and agricultural investments, detailing his country’s shift toward self-reliant food production through local farming incentives and infrastructure upgrades.
Shettima positioned Nigeria’s strategy within a wider plea for international collaboration, describing food insecurity as a universal challenge transcending geography. “Whether you live by the banks of the Niger or the Tiber, the truth remains the same,” he said, urging summit delegates to move beyond rhetoric. “The road ahead is long, but we are not paralyzed by fear.”
The four-day UNFSS+4 follows earlier summits in 2021 and 2023, with this year’s talks emphasizing solutions for conflict-affected regions and scalable innovations. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Kenyan President William Ruto also addressed the gathering, stressing the interplay between food security, climate adaptation, and economic stability. As debates continue, Nigeria’s tech-driven blueprint offers one model for balancing agricultural modernization with equitable access—a test case in a world where, as Shettima concluded, “the arc of history bends toward food justice.”
