Nigeria is set to reduce its dependence on food imports, according to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, who outlined a bold strategy to boost domestic agricultural production and increase food security.
Edun, who spoke at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday to mark the country’s 64th Independence Day, declared that the era of heavy food importation must end, positioning this shift as a cornerstone of the government’s economic recovery plan.
“We should not be importing food,” Edun stated, stressing that Nigeria’s future lies in self-sufficiency. He said the government was committed to supporting small-scale farmers by providing critical inputs like seeds and fertilizer under schemes such as the Nigerian Agricultural Growth Scheme.
The support will focus on enhancing both the wet and dry season harvests, reducing the need for imports in the short term while boosting productivity in the long term.
As an immediate measure, the government has ordered maize and wheat imports to stabilise the food market. However, Edun stressed the importance of balancing this with domestic production.
