Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged the reintroduction of agriculture as a core subject and the revival of agricultural clubs in Nigerian schools, describing the move as vital to food security, economic resilience, and national development.
Shettima made the call on Saturday in Abuja during the General Assembly of Farmers, where he was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, Uju Rochas-Anwukah.
The Vice President said agriculture must return to schools not merely as an academic subject but as a culture capable of shaping the mindset and aspirations of young Nigerians.
- Kano govt nears completion of industrial wastewater treatment plants
- BoA partners DalaHill on $100,000 climate-focused agricultural financing
“Agriculture must return to our schools. We must reintroduce it as a culture, not just a curriculum,” he said.
He stressed that every school should operate functional farms and revive agriculture clubs to expose students to food production, land use, and agribusiness from an early age.
“Our children must grow up knowing that food is wealth, land is power, and farming is business. Agriculture is not punishment; it is a possibility,” Shettima added.
The Vice President noted that the foundations of industrialisation—food, shelter, and clothing—are rooted in agriculture, warning that no nation can industrialise without first securing its agricultural base. He criticised the perception of farming as a low-status occupation, describing it as destructive to Nigeria’s food security and national pride.
He further called on political leaders and institutions to take direct responsibility in agricultural production, urging them to move beyond policy discussions to practical engagement.
“Leadership must farm. We cannot continue to govern agriculture from conference rooms alone,” he said.
Shettima also urged national institutions, including the Armed Forces, NYSC, and paramilitary agencies, to sustain institutional farms as a strategic contribution to national food security.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), acknowledged the security challenges confronting farmers and assured them of government’s commitment to improving safety in farming communities. He urged farmers to promptly report threats, stressing that safeguarding them was essential to food production.
President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Dr Farouk Mudi, highlighted the impact of climate change, rising input costs, and insecurity on agricultural productivity. He said delayed rainfall, flooding, and soaring fertiliser prices were severely affecting farmers nationwide.
Mudi noted that fertiliser prices had more than doubled in two years, rising from ₦26,000 to over ₦53,000 per bag, while agrochemical costs had increased by as much as 300 percent.
He also lamented the crisis in Nigeria’s livestock sector, revealing that the country spends about $1.5 billion annually importing milk and dairy products despite having over 21 million cattle, 43 million sheep, and 82 million goats.
According to him, farmer-herder clashes have claimed over 10,000 lives and destroyed properties worth more than ₦500 billion in the last decade, while over three million cattle were lost to rustling and unplanned migration.
“Security is the first input of agriculture,” Mudi said, reaffirming AFAN’s support for the National Livestock Transformation Plan to promote ranching, reduce conflicts, and modernise livestock production.
He further disclosed that Nigeria spends over $10 billion annually importing food items such as wheat, sugar, and fish, funds he said should instead empower local farmers.
