Nigeria’s agricultural sector has recorded a cautious but notable recovery in 2025, with improved food production, moderated prices, and stronger stakeholder engagement offering signs of stability after the shocks of the previous year.
Industry experts, farmers, and agribusiness leaders have described the year as one of resilience rather than a breakthrough, noting that while progress was made across crop, livestock and agro-processing value chains, deep-rooted structural challenges remain unresolved.
Across major farming regions, stakeholders reported improved harvests and a gradual easing of food prices compared to 2024.
Key staples, such as rice, maize, cassava, sorghum, and yams, recorded higher output, bringing temporary relief to households battling inflation.
According to Prince Oyewumi Oyedele Oyetunde, Editor-in-Chief of Farmers Choice Magazine, 2025 reflected “steady agricultural growth,” driven largely by increased production during the wet season and better coordination between government agencies and research institutions.
Food price stability became one of the clearest indicators of recovery.
Experts noted that prices fell significantly compared to the previous year, particularly for staples that had reached record highs in 2024.
Agribusiness strategist Africanfarmer Mogaji described 2025 as “an 80 per cent improvement,” citing reduced market volatility and stronger engagement by the Ministry of Agriculture.
A major highlight was the tomato market, where prices historically surged by up to 400 per cent during peak shortages. In 2025, prices remained comparatively stable, marking a rare break from decades-long trends.
Stakeholders credited part of the recovery to targeted government programmes, particularly the National Agricultural Growth and Agro-Pocket Project (NAGS-AP), which expanded dry-season farming and wheat production.
The programme reportedly mobilised thousands of farmers nationwide and aimed to reduce dependence on imports.
Analysts also pointed to improved data collection through initiatives such as the Farm Family Census and Tractor Census, which helped strengthen planning and accountability.
According to Adebowale Onafowora of BIC Farms Concept, the sector recorded a 2.82 per cent growth in the second quarter of 2025, reflecting a rebound from the previous year’s decline.
However, he cautioned that growth remains slower than population expansion and inflation, limiting the overall impact on food security.
Despite gains, insecurity remains the biggest challenge facing Nigeria’s agricultural sector. Farmers in key food-producing regions, especially the North-Central zone, continue to face attacks that disrupt planting and harvesting.
Stakeholders described insecurity as an “invisible tax” that discourages investment and reduces farm productivity.
High input costs also weighed heavily on farmers. Rising prices of fertiliser, fuel, agrochemicals and transport eroded profits even as food prices declined.
According to the National Tomato Growers Association, the imbalance between input costs and farm-gate prices has made agriculture increasingly unsustainable for smallholders.
“If a farmer must sell two or three bags of maize to buy one bag of fertiliser, something is wrong,” one stakeholder noted.
Climate change further exposed the sector’s fragility. Floods, droughts and erratic rainfall patterns affected yields across multiple regions, while poor storage and weak logistics led to continued post-harvest losses.
Experts warned that without urgent investment in irrigation, storage, mechanisation and climate-smart practices, production gains could be short-lived.
The livestock and poultry sectors were also described as vulnerable, with rising heat levels forcing farmers to adopt solar systems and climate-resilient technologies just to maintain output.
Despite the challenges, stakeholders agree that 2025 demonstrated what is possible when policy direction, data and stakeholder engagement align.
Many praised improved access to government officials and more inclusive consultations, describing them as steps toward restoring confidence in the sector.
Without decisive action on insecurity, input affordability, climate adaptation, storage infrastructure and coordinated policy execution, the gains recorded in 2025 could quickly unravel.
Source: Independent News
