The Federal Government has unveiled a multi-sector strategy to overhaul Nigeria’s agricultural industry by driving technological innovation, encouraging private capital investment, and strengthening institutional coordination. 

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, disclosed the policy direction in Abuja during the second Biannual Meeting of the Agrifood Systems Working Group, organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

The government’s framework aligns national agricultural targets with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) 2026–2035.

However, Senator Bagudu noted that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is operating on an accelerated timeline to significantly reduce poverty and expand economic inclusion by 2030. 

The Minister stated that Nigeria’s agricultural output rests on the efforts of over 24 million farming families. 

Enhancing their productivity through access to affordable finance, modern inputs, and reliable off-take markets remains central to lowering national food inflation and boosting rural household incomes.

The Federal Government has executed structural institutional reforms, including creating the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and transferring fisheries oversight to the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy. 

Additional operational funding is also being funnelled through key intervention agencies, such as the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), to expand farmland development, boost agricultural credit, and scale climate-resilient farming practices.

The Minister stressed that agricultural development cannot remain the sole domain of a single ministry, advocating for inter-disciplinary collaboration involving university researchers, private investors, women, and young entrepreneurs. 

Bagudu urged stakeholders to address ongoing domestic and global pressures, such as high fertiliser and energy costs, alongside trade distortions caused by cheap, subsidised food imports. 

He added that security improvements in previously volatile regions, particularly across the North-East, have enabled thousands of displaced farmers to return to their fields, laying the foundation for a more resilient national food system.

Source: The Nation Online
Image Credit: Economic Issues