New Agricultural Reforms Aim to Transform Nigeria’s Food Security
The Federal Government has introduced a series of agricultural reforms aimed at addressing critical challenges such as hunger, low food production, and significant post-harvest losses estimated at over $10bn annually. These initiatives are part of President Bola Tinubu’s broader Renewed Hope Agenda, which focuses on achieving food security and national prosperity.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and Minister of State, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, announced these reforms through a signed statement on Thursday. The reforms are designed to ensure that agriculture remains the backbone of Nigeria’s economy and a key driver of national renewal.
A Vital Sector for National Growth
Kyari emphasized that agriculture is not only the largest employer of labor in Nigeria but also contributes more than one-quarter of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He stated, “Agriculture is the measure of our nation’s resilience and the foundation of our collective renewal.”
He highlighted that the government’s ongoing reforms aim to end hunger, ensure food sufficiency, and drastically reduce post-harvest losses. Kyari explained that these efforts will form a connected post-harvest system that cuts losses valued at over $10bn annually while improving food quality, farmer incomes, and price stability nationwide.
Modernising Agricultural Practices
Kyari reaffirmed President Tinubu’s directive to modernise Nigeria’s agricultural production. “Our farmers must transition from hoes and cutlasses to tractors and harvesters. Food sufficiency is the first currency of national stability,” he said.
To support this transition, the government has implemented several key policies and programs, including the National Agricultural Growth Scheme–Agro-Pocket, the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, and the Nigeria Postharvest Systems Transformation Programme (NiPHaST).
In October, a new milestone was achieved with the introduction of rainfed wheat cultivation in Kuru, Plateau State. This innovation by the Lake Chad Research Institute extends wheat farming beyond irrigated zones, marking a significant step toward all-year farming and self-sufficiency in wheat production.
Strengthening Post-Harvest Systems
On post-harvest management, Kyari described NiPHaST as a legacy project aimed at reducing food losses, improving quality, and stabilising prices. The program seeks to strengthen post-harvest handling and storage systems from the community level upwards, creating an integrated network that connects farmers, cooperatives, and strategic reserves across the country.
Operations at the National Strategic Grain Reserve Silos in several states are being enhanced to support emergency interventions and price stabilisation.
Financing and Infrastructure Development
Kyari mentioned that President Tinubu had approved the recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture with N1.5tn, alongside a N250bn financing window for smallholder farmers. The Bank of Agriculture, in partnership with Heifer Nigeria, has launched the Renewed Hope National Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, a transformative initiative designed to expand affordable access to mechanisation services nationwide.
This programme aims to modernise production, raise yields, and create sustainable rural employment. Kyari confirmed that the National Agricultural Development Fund is now fully operational as a vehicle to expand agribusiness financing.
The administration is also investing in rural infrastructure such as feeder roads, mini-dams, solar-powered boreholes, and market access facilities to strengthen rural livelihoods.
Climate-Smart and Inclusive Reforms
Sabi Abdullahi, speaking on behalf of the government, highlighted that the drive toward food self-sufficiency would be anchored on climate-smart and inclusive agricultural reforms. He noted that achieving food self-sufficiency requires optimising the production of major crops such as maize, wheat, sorghum, millet, soybean, cassava, yam, and cowpeas.
Abdullahi outlined other key initiatives, including the Dry Season Initiative for 500,000 hectares of all-year farming, the Every Home a Garden Initiative by the First Lady, and the Nigerian Farmers’ Soil Health Scheme, which offers crop and location-specific fertiliser recommendations.
“Our broader goals are targeted at reducing import dependence, strengthening market confidence, and reviving agribusiness to position Nigeria as a leading food supplier in West Africa,” he said.
Ongoing Efforts to Address Hunger
The Federal Government has made several efforts to end hunger through targeted agricultural reforms, including converting idle institutional lands into food production hubs and declaring a state of emergency on food security. Mechanisation and irrigation projects are also being expanded nationwide to boost productivity.
For decades, agriculture has remained the backbone of the economy, employing millions and sustaining rural communities. However, persistent challenges such as low mechanisation, poor infrastructure, and post-harvest losses have prevented the country from realising its full potential.