NESG Summit dinner on food systems

It is with great honour and a profound sense of shared purpose that I join you this evening at this critical dialogue on investing in innovative solutions for food systems in challenging contexts.

I extend my sincere gratitude to the World Food Programme (WFP), the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) for convening this high-level session and for recognizing Katsina State as a partner in this vital mission.

The joint study you have unveiled tonight is not just a report, it is a call to action. It confirms what we on the frontlines already know: that even in the most complex and fragile environments, there are pockets of resilience, opportunity, and untapped potential. The challenge is not the absence of opportunity, it is the absence of coordinated, bold, and sustained investment.

In Katsina State, we have chosen to confront this challenge head-on. We understand that food security is national security. It is the bedrock of social stability, economic productivity, and human dignity. Yet, like many states in Nigeria’s Northwest, we face a confluence of pressures, climate volatility, insecurity, limited infrastructure, and post-harvest losses that threaten our agricultural foundation.

But we refuse to be defined by our challenges. Instead, we are building a new food system architecture, one that is resilient, inclusive, and investment-ready.

Let me share a few pillars of our approach:

First, we are investing in climate-smart agriculture. Through our fish restocking and capacity-building program, we are reviving aquatic ecosystems while empowering 100 artisanal fishermen with modern tools and a five-month conditional cash transfer to allow fish stocks to regenerate. This is not just conservation, it is sustainable livelihood creation.

Second, we are strengthening value chains through public-private partnerships. We are working with agro-processors, input suppliers, and logistics firms to reduce post-harvest losses and connect smallholder farmers, especially women to formal markets. Our goal is to transform subsistence farming into commercial agribusiness.

Third, we are leveraging data and technology. In collaboration with research institutions, we are mapping food-insecure hotspots in real-time to target interventions with precision. We are also piloting digital extension services to deliver agronomic advice directly to farmers’ mobile phones.

Fourth, we are prioritizing nutrition-sensitive agriculture. Because food security is not just about calories, it is about quality, diversity, and health. That is why we are integrating nutrition education into our agricultural extension programs and promoting the cultivation of bio-fortified crops.

But let me be clear: Katsina State cannot do this alone. The scale of the challenge demands bold private sector engagement. We are not asking for funds; we are offering partnership and seeking technical assistance.

We have fertile land, a young and growing workforce, and a government that is committed to creating an enabling environment for agribusiness. We are streamlining regulations, improving rural access roads, and providing targeted incentives for agro-processing, cold chain logistics, and renewable energy for irrigation.

• To investors here tonight: Katsina State is open for business. We invite you to co-invest in:
• Agro-processing hubs that add value to our tomatoes, onions, and grains;
• Solar-powered irrigation schemes that de-risk farming from rainfall variability;
• Digital market platforms that would link 500,000 smallholder farmers to buyers;
• Fortified food production that tackles malnutrition at scale.

The study launched tonight proves that returns are possible even in complex settings, if we design interventions with local context, community ownership, and private sector logic at their core.

In closing, I reaffirm Katsina State’s commitment to being a laboratory for innovation in food systems transformation. We stand ready to collaborate with all partners who share our vision of a Nigeria where no child goes to bed hungry, where every farmer thrives, and where our food system is a source of national pride and economic strength.

Thank you for your leadership, your partnership, and your belief in what is possible.