* Aims at positioning Africa as the food basket of the world.
In an aggressive bid to unlock billions in untapped wealth, Nigeria has embarked on a mega-infrastructure campaign designed to turn its agricultural sector into a primary economic powerhouse.
By resolving critical supply chain gaps and logistical bottlenecks, the country aims to de-risk agribusiness, attract significant investment, and ensure long-term food and nutrition security.
Speaking on Thursday when he led the Nigerian delegation for the Ethiopia–Nigeria Leadership Exchange on a tour of farms and agricultural facilities in Oromia, Ethiopia, Senator Kashim Shettima stated that the goal is to secure Africa’s place as the food basket of the world.
In a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, he cited Ethiopia’s Oromia model as the benchmark for Africa’s agricultural rebirth, emphasising that the strategic agribusiness hub provides a blueprint for farming communities both on and off the continent.
The Vice President noted that Ethiopia has transformed its wheat production, flipping the script from importing $1 billion in wheat annually to achieving full self-sufficiency, just as he commended the massive economic turnaround, saying the nation now generates enough surplus to export to neighboring countries like Djibouti and Kenya.
He also noted Ethiopia’s progress in rice production, observing that the country has become largely self-sufficient in the commodity.
According to Senator Shettima, Nigeria plans to leverage Ethiopia’s experience in advancing large-scale, mechanized, and modernized agricultural production. “We intend to embrace improved seeds, mechanization, and climate-smart agriculture,” he said.
VP Shettima warned that food security is fundamental to national sovereignty, stressing that countries depending heavily on external food sources could compromise their sovereignty.
“Food dependency compromises our sovereignty. Without independence in food production, a nation remains incomplete in its sovereignty,” he stated.
The Nigerian Vice President declared that, through closer cooperation in modern agriculture and large-scale food production, Nigeria and Ethiopia possess the potential to sustain the African continent.
He expressed Nigeria’s determination to achieve food sovereignty by adopting mechanisation, climate-smart agriculture, high-yield seeds, and modern farming practices.
The VP expressed optimism that cooperation between Nigeria and Ethiopia could significantly boost Africa’s food security, calling the East African nation’s agricultural transformation an exemplary model.
He identified agriculture as a mutual advantage for Nigeria and Ethiopia, urging both nations to draw strength from each other’s successes for the benefit of their citizens.
“I am overwhelmed with joy that the real economic renaissance of Africa is in the offing. Ethiopia has become the pathfinder, the front runner in us reclaiming our pride and our continent. We are mightily proud of them.
“Africa must learn to feed itself. Ethiopia is doing it and Nigeria is on course to do the same. Ethiopia is a success story worthy of emulation,” he maintained.
Highlighting the Oromia model’s success in turning food deficits into export-driven self-sufficiency through the use of expansive arable land and diverse climate zones, Senator Shettima urged African nations to replicate the Ethiopian framework to achieve continental food sovereignty.
The Vice President also announced plans for Nigeria to embark on a massive tree-planting campaign starting next rainy season, with a target of planting 20 billion trees.
He stated that the initiative would draw lessons from Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative, which combines environmental restoration with economic and livelihood benefits.
“We will embark on a massive tree-planting campaign in the next rainy season. It requires a lot of planning, energy and drive, which Ethiopia was able to galvanize its population into doing. We intend to plant 20 billion trees,” he hinted.
He said the programme would support environmental restoration while creating employment opportunities, adding that Nigeria seeks to replicate aspects of Ethiopia’s experience.
Senator Shettima said the combined population and economic potential of Nigeria and Ethiopia could have a wider impact on the continent.
His words: “With a population of 100 million people, and a combined population with Nigeria of over 400 million, Ethiopia’s success will reverberate across the length and breadth of East and Southern Africa.”
Earlier, President of the Oromia Regional State, Shimelis Abdisa, outlined the region’s agricultural achievements and the contribution of farming to Ethiopia’s economy.
Abdisa said that more than 200 varieties of crops were being cultivated across Ethiopia, while the country had expanded its exports of agricultural products, including bananas, avocados, and coffee.
He noted that wheat production alone generates more than $3.1 billion annually for the country, adding that Ethiopian wheat is competitive in the international market.
The Oromia president announced a collaboration with the Dangote conglomerate to produce fertilizer for regional farmers, noting that the region’s large-scale poultry production has grown significantly beyond its initial two-million-bird capacity, with plans for further expansion.
During the tour, Vice President Shettima visited wheat, banana and papaya farms in the region, where he examined Ethiopia’s agricultural production systems and ongoing efforts to expand food production.
