By Jide Akinseye
As food prices begin to ease after months of pressure on households, the Federal Government has rolled out a coordinated set of agricultural reforms aimed at stabilising the market, boosting local production, and restoring confidence in Nigeria’s food system. At the centre of this effort is a blend of policy interventions, financing initiatives, and strategic communication designed to move food security from policy frameworks to tangible outcomes for citizens.
Feature (Rewritten):
At the Ministerial Policy Dialogue held during Nigeria Public Relations Week in Kaduna, the Federal Government detailed a multi-layered strategy to tackle Nigeria’s food security challenges and rein in inflation across the agricultural sector.
Representing the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, the Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), Mohammed Ibrahim, explained that current government efforts are focused on “market correction” to address supply shortages and rising food costs.
According to him, short-term interventions such as reducing import tariffs on key agricultural inputs and commodities have already begun to yield results, easing pressure on prices that had previously surged to unsustainable levels.
Beyond immediate relief, the government is pursuing medium- and long-term policies designed to strengthen domestic production. Central to this is increased support for farmers and agro-processors through subsidised inputs and incentives tied to backward integration models—ensuring that both production and processing capacities grow in tandem.
Ibrahim stressed that food security is no longer confined to agricultural output alone. Instead, it now encompasses policy coordination, effective communication, and public engagement to build trust and ensure the success of government initiatives.
Recent data suggests modest progress, with food inflation dropping to about 14 per cent compared to 25 per cent in the same period last year. However, challenges remain, particularly the high cost of farm inputs, which continues to strain producers.
To address these constraints, the government is expanding access to mechanisation, improving input distribution systems, and delivering targeted interventions across key agricultural value chains.
Driving much of this effort is the NADF, which plays a pivotal role in financing and implementing agricultural programmes nationwide. Its mandate spans crop production, livestock, fisheries, and agro-forestry, alongside funding research, training, and extension services.
The Fund has recorded notable interventions, including its Ginger Recovery, Advancement and Transformation for Economy Empowerment (GRATE) initiative, which has supported over 5,000 farmers across Kaduna, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory.
Similarly, the Farm Input Support Programme (FISP) has reached 50,000 smallholder farmers nationwide, offering up to 75 per cent subsidies on essential inputs.
Emergency responses have also been deployed, with over 2,000 onion farmers in crisis-affected states receiving targeted support.
Looking ahead, the government plans to scale up its fertiliser distribution under the Renewed Hope Fertiliser Support Programme, targeting 127,000 farmers across 25 states and the FCT ahead of the 2026 wet season.
On the financing front, NADF has mobilised billions of naira through partnerships with state governments and financial institutions. Key investments include a N1.14 billion ginger production project in Kaduna State and a N5 billion co-financing initiative with Niger State for rice and maize cultivation.
The Fund’s blended finance approach has also attracted private sector participation, reducing borrowing costs and expanding access to credit for agribusinesses. One such collaboration with Psaltry International and development partners has empowered 15,000 young women in cassava production in Oyo State.
At the sub-national level, partnerships with states like Cross River, Jigawa, and Katsina are fostering innovative risk-sharing mechanisms to improve agricultural financing and resilience.
Ultimately, these efforts are geared towards achieving food sovereignty—ensuring Nigeria can sustainably feed its population while unlocking economic opportunities across the agricultural value chain.
Stakeholders at the dialogue agreed that while progress is evident, maintaining momentum will require sustained investment, policy consistency, and clear communication to build public trust and secure long-term gains.
