Food security pillar of national stability, says President

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has underscored food security and inclusive regional development as fundamental pillars for Nigeria’s long-term stability.

He called on stakeholders to unlock the nation’s vast agricultural and industrial potential.

Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the opening of the Taraba International Investment Summit 2025 in Jalingo yesterday, President Tinubu emphasised that Nigeria’s economic transformation must begin from the grassroots and be driven by local resources.

He described food sufficiency as “the first currency of national stability,” noting that agriculture will remain central to his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, President Tinubu described araba as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s agricultural and industrial future, as its agricultural potential is a manifestation of the nation’s shared prosperity.

“Food sufficiency is the first currency of national stability. This is why we have prioritised agriculture as the anchor of our national strategy,” he said.

The President praised Taraba’s vast agricultural assets, calling for a shift from subsistence farming to industrial-scale food production.

“Our farmers must transition from the use of hoes and cutlasses to tractors and harvesters,” he said, stressing that modern tools are vital for increasing productivity and feeding Nigeria’s growing population.

He stressed that every region of Nigeria has a role to play in national prosperity.

“Our ultimate awakening as a nation begins with this realisation that no part of this country can thrive in isolation.

“What Taraba offers the nation is more than its breathtaking mountains or fertile valleys; it is a strategic contribution to our shared prosperity,” the President added.

President Tinubu praised Dangote Group President, Aliko Dangote, saying: “I want to celebrate the greatest black man in the last 300 years, who single-handedly established the largest single train refinery in the world with the capacity to refine 650,000 barrels of oil per day, 67 per cent of Nigeria’s refining capacity, occupying 2,635 hectares, larger that Victoria Island, employing 135,000 Nigerians and training 900 engineers abroad.

“He started this project in 2007/2008. If he had invested the $19 billion that it took him to set up the Dangote Refinery in Microsoft, in Amazon, in Google, he is going to be worth $120 billion now.

“But he decided to invest in his own country. Alhaji Aliko Dangote, we are mightily proud of you.”

The President lauded Governor Agbu Kefas for his visionary leadership, which he has demonstrated by convening the summit.

Kefas assured investors that the state is peaceful and safe for business, with huge human and natural resources.

He said his administration had created an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

Dangote said he would continue to invest in Nigeria.

“We want to remain here and continue to invest in Nigeria to impact the lives of others, as we keep creating jobs and more jobs.

“When the local investors are doing well, the foreign ones will come without anybody inviting them.

“When you have a good restaurant, you will not need to invite people to come and eat.

“You will hear them talking about such restaurants. Start with the local investors, and this state shall become the shining star,” he said.

Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Chief Tony Elumelu, said Africa has opened an investment window for the world because the continent has what it can showcase.

He pledged to partner with Taraba in ensuring that its vision comes true.

“Investments help in building the capacity of our youth through employment generation. When we create investment, we improve our people,” he said.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said a stable and secure business environment will not only attract investments but also lead to economic growth.

He said that Taraba’s economy holds significant investment potential and could be optimised to reap the benefits with the provision of a stable and secure investment climate.

“The government is urged to implement measures that will address investment risks and implement interventions, and eliminate bottlenecks.

“Peace, security, and stability in host communities are critical determinants of investment flows,” he said.

Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, who represented the Nigeria Governors Forum, said Nigeria, with its fertile lands, had significant untapped potential.

“People in Europe can barely farm for three months in a year, but we can farm 24/7, 365 days a year. It means we have no business in poverty,” he said.

Bago, who described himself as the “Chief Farmer of Nigeria,” added: “The chairman of the NGF, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, is sending his felicitations to the government and people of Taraba State.

“He has asked me to reassure you of the cooperation of sub-nationals in whatever we decide to bring development to the people of Taraba State.”

The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama, called on Nigerians to resist religious fanaticism and embrace tolerance as a necessary path towards national peace, unity, and development.

Speaking at the summit, he emphasised the importance of religious harmony, stressing that no religion promotes violence.

“People should be educated to desist from religious fanaticism and embrace peace for sustainable development because no religion preaches violence,” he said.

“For Nigeria to join the league of developed nations, the government must be forthright in its fight against religious or ethnic issues that retard our progress.

“All we need to do is appreciate God and stop unhealthy rivalry. Use the land to produce food rather than quarrel and fight over it — in the end, nobody gains,” he added.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, urged the Federal Government to prioritise the completion of the Kashimbila Dam in Taraba State.

He said the project holds the key to resolving Nigeria’s persistent electricity problems.

“We need that dam ready at 100 per cent. If that project had been completed and was already generating power, many of the challenges we are having with power would have been a thing of the past.

“It has taken successive governments years to address it, but now we must concentrate on completing the whole project.

“Let it generate power not just for Taraba, but for the entire Northeast and the country at large,” the Sultan said.