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Inside Africa

VP Shettima Reaffirms Nigeria’s Commitment to Food Security at UN Summit

Fola Badmus2 months ago2 months ago03 mins

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – July 28, 2025Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has reiterated the country’s strong commitment to food and nutrition security while addressing global leaders at the United Nations Food Systems Summit held at the iconic African Hall of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Speaking at the summit, Shettima emphasized that food insecurity is a global challenge that “knows no borders” and called for collective international action. He outlined Nigeria’s strategic approach, highlighting the Presidential Initiative on Food Security, which aims to scale up the production of maize, rice, cassava, and wheat using climate-smart solutions. “Nutrition is at the heart of Nigeria’s vision,” he stated, citing the integration of food and nutrition targets into national frameworks such as the National Development Plan and Agenda 2050. The Vice President also spotlighted the Nutrition 774 initiative, designed to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the grassroots level by reaching all 774 local government areas in Nigeria — turning “pledges into meals,” he said. Shettima noted that Nigeria is embracing innovation to transform its agricultural sector. “The Fourth Industrial Revolution is driving our agricultural systems, through the use of artificial intelligence, geospatial analytics, and satellite-driven climate intelligence,” he said. These technologies, he added, are enhancing transparency, boosting production, improving market access, and reducing food waste. Highlighting strategic partnerships, the Vice President pointed to collaborations with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to develop Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones. These zones, he said, are creating jobs, attracting investment, and linking local farmers to global markets. He concluded by emphasizing the role of nutrition education and school feeding programs in securing long-term outcomes, stating that they are essential for “building healthier futures” for Nigerian children.

The Federal Government has launched the National Palm Oil Traceability Framework alongside an Inter-Agency Committee to enhance palm oil production, ensure product integrity, and boost export competitiveness. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, announced this during the inauguration ceremony in Abuja. He noted that the framework aims to address challenges such as adulteration, poor processing standards, and inadequate packaging. “The establishment of a national traceability system for palm oil is a clear demonstration of our determination to modernise agricultural value chains, enhance global competitiveness, and promote responsible production and sourcing,” Kyari said. The committee, operating under the National Initiative for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Oil Palm Smallholders (NISCOPS), will coordinate efforts among federal and state agencies, private sector players, farmers’ cooperatives, and development partners. Solidaridad Nigeria, through its Oil Palm Programme Manager, Kennechukwu Onukwube, reiterated its commitment to guiding and promoting the traceability policy for a sustainable future.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Abubakar Kyari

Fola Badmus2 months ago2 months ago02 mins

The Federal Government has launched the National Palm Oil Traceability Framework alongside an Inter-Agency Committee to enhance palm oil production, ensure product integrity, and boost export competitiveness. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, announced this during the inauguration ceremony in Abuja. He noted that the framework aims to address challenges such as adulteration, poor processing standards, and inadequate packaging. “The establishment of a national traceability system for palm oil is a clear demonstration of our determination to modernise agricultural value chains, enhance global competitiveness, and promote responsible production and sourcing,” Kyari said. The committee, operating under the National Initiative for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Oil Palm Smallholders (NISCOPS), will coordinate efforts among federal and state agencies, private sector players, farmers’ cooperatives, and development partners. Solidaridad Nigeria, through its Oil Palm Programme Manager, Kennechukwu Onukwube, reiterated its commitment to guiding and promoting the traceability policy for a sustainable future.

Climate Crisis Fuels Global Food Price Surge, Scientists Warn

Fola Badmus2 months ago2 months ago04 mins

Extreme weather events driven by climate change are causing sharp increases in food prices worldwide, according to a new report released on Monday by six European research organizations in collaboration with the European Central Bank. The report highlights how heatwaves, floods, and droughts have disrupted agricultural production since 2022, triggering steep price hikes for staples like rice, corn, coffee, cocoa, potatoes, and lettuce. Among the most dramatic examples cited is a 280 percent surge in global cocoa prices in April 2024 after a heatwave in Ghana and Ivory Coast, and a 300 percent spike in Australian lettuce prices following severe floods in 2022. Similarly, cabbage prices in South Korea rose by 70 percent in September 2024 due to extreme heat, while rice prices in Japan jumped 48 percent during the same period. The report also links droughts to major price increases, including a 55 percent hike in global coffee prices in 2024 after a prolonged 2023 drought in Brazil. Ethiopia saw overall food prices soar by 40 percent in 2023, following drought conditions in 2022. “Until we get to net zero emissions, extreme weather will only get worse, but it’s already damaging crops and pushing up the price of food all over the world,” said Maximillian Kotz, the lead author from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. The analysis underscores that rising food prices are one of the most visible effects of climate change, second only to extreme heat itself. Low-income households are hit the hardest, as food costs consume a significant share of their income. In the UK, climate-linked weather disruptions added an estimated £360 ($482) to the average household food bill between 2022 and 2023, said Amber Sawyer of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU). England recorded its second-worst arable harvest on record in 2023 due to intense rainfall exacerbated by climate change. The report was released ahead of the United Nations Food Systems Summit, scheduled for July 27–29 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It comes as global leaders face increasing pressure to meet emissions reduction targets under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which currently fall short of the cuts needed to keep global temperature rise below the 1.5°C limit set by the Paris Agreement. On Wednesday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is expected to issue a historic advisory opinion on states’ legal obligations to combat climate change, a case spearheaded by Vanuatu and supported by many Global South nations.