17/10/2025
BAGO ADMINISTRATION CHAMPIONS AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION FOR FOOD SECURITY AND SOVEREIGNTY
As part of Niger State’s ongoing leadership in advancing Nigeria’s agricultural transformation, the Executive Governor, Farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to driving food security and sovereignty across the nation and beyond.
Delivering a keynote address at the 2025 World Food Day Celebration, organised by the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos, Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago emphasised the strategic direction of the “New Niger Agenda”, which prioritises sustainable agricultural systems, rural development, and value chain expansion.
This year’s theme, “Food Security to Food Sovereignty: How Far Has Nigeria Gone?”, underscores a vital transition from merely ensuring food availability to empowering Nigerians to control how food is produced, distributed, and consumed. The Governor noted that Niger State has already embarked on this transformative journey through innovative agricultural programmes that place farmers, herders, and investors at the heart of production and distribution systems.
Governor Bago observed that despite agriculture’s central role in Nigeria’s economy, challenges such as hunger, malnutrition, and overreliance on food imports persist. He stressed that genuine food security can only be achieved through deliberate investment in livestock development, pasture management, value addition, and post-harvest loss reduction.
“Niger State is determined to feed Nigeria and beyond from our soil. Through mechanisation, smart irrigation, and large-scale livestock and crop production, we are moving from subsistence to sustainable, export-driven agriculture,” Governor Bago said.
He called for deeper collaboration among government institutions, research bodies, the private sector, communities, and development partners to achieve shared goals of agricultural innovation, resilience, and economic prosperity.
Governor Bago commended the management of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), led by Director General Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, for the honour of a Professional Chair on Food and Human Security, which further reinforces Niger State’s strategic position in national food discourse.
The Niger State Government continues to position itself as the agricultural powerhouse of Nigeria—turning farmlands into engines of economic growth and setting the pace for food sovereignty across Africa.