Tinubu Declares State of Emergency on Agriculture, Shettima Explains Reasons

Tinubu Declares State of Emergency on Agriculture, Shettima Explains Reasons

Published: Tuesday, July 29, 2025 | By Esther Odili | 3 min read

In a decisive move to tackle food insecurity, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a state of emergency on agriculture in Nigeria.

Vice President Kashim Shettima announced this during the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he outlined the administration’s plans to strengthen the nation’s food system. According to Shettima, the declaration particularly targets conflict-ridden regions like the North-East, where Boko Haram insurgency has worsened food scarcity.

“We met the nation in a very dire state of affairs, and His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, declared a state of food emergency out of genuine concern for the welfare of our people,” Shettima said. “This is especially in conflict-driven environments like the North-East where Boko Haram is sowing seeds of discord and destruction.”

He added that the government has introduced bold policy guidelines, including the creation of Presidential Food System Coordinating Units to enhance food delivery and a food support mechanism in the North-East.

“Any nation that is not independent in food sovereignty is not truly sovereign,” Shettima noted, applauding the World Food Programme and other multilateral agencies for supporting Nigeria.

The Vice President also revealed that displaced persons’ camps are being empowered to grow their own food, reducing reliance on aid.

“Hunger knows no bounds, hunger doesn’t discriminate,” he said.

This comes months after President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State amid a political crisis, suspending Governor Sim Fubara and his deputy.

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