The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on food production and adopt a national policy to ensure productive use of idle lands across the country. The post ACCI urges Tinubu to declare emergency on food appeared first on The Sun Nigeria .
The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on food production and adopt a national policy to ensure productive use of idle lands across the country.
Vice President, Agriculture, ACCI, Olasetemi Thompson, made the call in an open letter to President Tinubu on Tuesday, proposing a national initiative tagged “Operation No Idle Land”.
Thompson, in the document made available to journalists at a briefing in Abuja, said Nigeria has vast arable land, favourable climatic conditions and a youthful population capable of driving a modern agricultural economy, but lamented that significant portions of potentially productive land remained underutilised or completely idle.
He said leaving productive land unused while millions of citizens remained unemployed and households struggled with food affordability was a major economic loss.
According to him, “Operation No Idle Land” should encourage landowners to put their land to productive use, lease underutilised land to farmers, cooperatives or investors, or participate in organised schemes that aggregate land, capital, technology and market access.
He stressed that the initiative should not be punitive, insisting that any enforcement must protect legitimate property rights and guarantee due process.
Thompson also called for a clear and time-bound emergency action plan focused on agricultural finance, irrigation, mechanisation, improved seeds and fertilisers, extension services, research, rural roads, storage, processing and security.
He proposed a national digital audit and mapping of agricultural lands, creation of land banks and agricultural clusters, incentives for productive land use, and greater access to land, finance and technology for youths and women.
He said the initiative could create millions of jobs, improve food security, reduce food imports and conserve foreign exchange, while strengthening rural economies and the nation’s agricultural export potential.
Thompson further urged the President to convene a National Stakeholders’ Summit on Productive Land Use and Food Security involving governments, farmers, traditional institutions, the organised private sector, financial institutions, research institutions and development partners.
He said: “Nigeria is endowed with vast arable land, favourable climatic conditions and a youthful population capable of driving a modern agricultural economy. Yet, significant portions of potentially productive land remain underutilised or completely idle.
“At a time when millions of Nigerians seek employment and food prices remain a major concern, leaving productive land unused represents a serious missed economic opportunity. The challenge is not merely land availability, but its effective utilisation, supported by finance, infrastructure, technology, markets, security and an enabling policy environment.
“Nigeria therefore requires a bold and coordinated response that places productive land utilisation at the centre of its food security, employment and economic development strategy.”
Meanwhile, ACCI President, Chief Emeka Obegolu, said that the organisation would be holding the maiden Agricultural Mechanisation for Export-Quality Products in Africa (AGROMEQA EXPO 2026) in October.
Obegolu said the Expo, organised by the Agricultural Trade Group and JMT Plus Farms and Agro-Allied in collaboration with ACCI, was aimed at attracting investment, technology and capital into agriculture.
He said the Expo, themed “Technology and Investment for Agro-Export”, would promote mechanisation, value addition, technology transfer and export-quality production, while connecting farmers, agribusinesses, processors and agritech developers with investors.
According to him, the Expo will feature exhibitions of agricultural machinery, precision farming tools, irrigation systems, agro-processing and packaging innovations, as well as plenary sessions, technical discussions, business-to-business engagements and investment forums.
Vice President Kashim Shettima is expected to officially declare the Expo open, while the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) President, Engr Jani Ibrahim, will deliver the keynote address.
Obegolu said the Expo would also feature live demonstrations and a Schools’ Agro Exhibition and Competition to encourage youth participation in agriculture.
He called on government agencies, private sector operators, financial institutions, development partners, farmers and other stakeholders to participate in the event, saying collaboration, innovation and capital mobilisation were critical to transforming Nigeria’s agricultural sector and positioning the country as a major agro-export player.
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