Stakeholders in the agriculture sector have raised alarm over shrinking government support, rising hunger, and worsening insecurity affecting food production across the country as preparations for Nigeria’s 2026 national budget continue.
This call was made at the three-day National Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on the 2026 Agriculture Budget, which was held in Lagos.
ActionAid Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), GIZ Global Programme AgSys Nigeria, the Community of Agricultural Non-State Actors (COANSA), and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the ECOWAS Commission jointly organised the meeting.
More than 130 participants attended, including representatives from the National Assembly, ministries, civil society, research bodies, farmer organisations, and development partners.
Participants reviewed the implementation of the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) and its alignment with regional commitments, including the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the 2014 Malabo Declaration, and the 2025 Kampala Declaration.
Stakeholders expressed concern over the continued decline in federal funding for agriculture, which dropped from 4.2% of the national budget in 2024 to just 1.2% in 2025.
“This is far below the 10 percent benchmark committed to by Nigeria under the Maputo and Malabo Declarations,” the communique stated.
“No state, including the FCT, has met this commitment.”
They also noted that budget releases remain erratic and delayed, with zero capital disbursement recorded for 2025 as of the second quarter.
While personnel costs are released in full, capital and overhead funding needed for project execution are frequently withheld or delayed, undermining outcomes.
The meeting also addressed systemic inequality in agriculture funding, particularly the exclusion of women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Women comprise a significant portion of Nigeria’s smallholder farmers and remain underfunded.
The communique stated that allocations rarely reflect the 35% set aside for women in the National Agricultural Gender Policy.
Young people and PWDs were also said to be left out of agricultural investment due to limited access to land, loans, inputs, and extension services.
Customary land tenure systems, the stakeholders observed, still prevent many women and young people from owning or inheriting land, making it difficult for them to expand their farms or secure credit.
Despite these challenges, agriculture remains a key contributor to Nigeria’s GDP, accounting for 23–29% of the country’s GDP between 2015 and 2024.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has tried to modernise the sector through mechanisation, youth programmes, and private sector partnerships.
Still, stakeholders stressed that the sector cannot reach its full potential without strategic funding and inclusive reforms.
One primary concern was the growing food crisis.
According to projections shared during the meeting, over 30.6 million Nigerians across 26 states and the FCT could face crisis-level hunger during the 2025 lean season.
The causes include insecurity, farmer displacement, climate-related disasters such as floods and droughts, and rising food prices.
“Between 2022 and 2024, floods submerged thousands of hectares of farmland, with over 1.1 million hectares affected in 2024 alone,” the communique noted.
To address these problems, participants at the meeting called for the federal government to allocate at least 10% of its budget to agriculture.
They also emphasised the importance of releasing capital funds early, particularly in conjunction with planting seasons, and establishing an independent monitoring system to ensure transparency and accountability in fund utilisation.
Other recommendations included reforming land tenure and input distribution, improving rural infrastructure such as roads and storage facilities, and enhancing climate-smart agriculture and risk management through stronger insurance systems.
The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) was singled out for consistent funding, including channelling unspent funds into it each year.
For inclusion, the meeting proposed dedicating 10–15% of the budget lines for youth agripreneurs and ensuring at least 50% of female participation in youth-focused agricultural programmes.
It also called for creating youth farm clusters, regional innovation hubs, and cooperative financing models to support productivity.
In their final message, stakeholders urged the Presidency to make agriculture a national priority, moving beyond political declarations to practical, inclusive, and well-funded action.
