The Federal Government has announced the full operationalisation of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) during Nigeria’s Country Session at the 9th Africa Agriculture Science Week (9AASW) in Abuja. 

Speaking at the event on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, stated that the Fund establishes a sustainable financial mechanism to bridge the gap between scientific research and commercial agricultural deployment.

The operationalisation of the NADF forms part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic renewal agenda, targeting key investment areas including digital agriculture, mechanisation, climate-smart production, seed systems, livestock development, and the marine economy. 

Senator Kyari emphasised that agricultural research is now positioned as a strategic national asset rather than a supporting service. 

The Minister outlined five core priorities: strengthening scientific excellence, accelerating digital transformation through AI and remote sensing, driving commercialisation through agritech incubation, investing in youth human capital, and deepening ties with regional bodies such as FARA, AUDA-NEPAD, and CGIAR centres.

In his welcome address, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, highlighted Nigeria’s expansive National Agricultural Research System (NARS), which includes 16 research institutes and 18 federal colleges of agriculture. 

The global recognition of Professor Chiedozie Ngozi Egesi, Executive Director of the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike. Prof. Egesi was named among the 40 global honorees of the 2026 Top Agri-food Pioneers (TAP) cohort by the World Food Prize Foundation in recognition of his contributions to cassava breeding, biotechnology, and continental seed systems.

Source: Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security