Federal Government Ends Fragmented Agric Spending

The federal government has unveiled plans to end fragmented agricultural spending and directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as state governments, to align their annual budgets with Nigeria’s National Agrifood System Strategy and Action Plan for implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Declaration (2026–2035).

Speaking at the National Validation Meeting on the Strategy in Abuja, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said a unified planning framework would improve coordination, eliminate duplication and ensure that public investments in agriculture deliver measurable outcomes.

He said the strategy is designed to strengthen food systems, enhance food sovereignty and transform Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

Kyari said the strategy builds on the gains of the Maputo Declaration of 2003 and the Malabo Declaration of 2014 while adopting a broader agrifood systems approach that addresses production, processing, marketing, nutrition and resilience.

The minister said the document reflects contributions from extensive consultations held across the six geopolitical zones and a national workshop, ensuring that it responds to the country’s diverse agricultural realities.

“We wanted a plan that reflects the diversity of Nigeria’s agricultural landscape, from the livestock corridors of the North to the aquaculture belts of the South, from the cassava and yam zones of the East to the cocoa and oil palm plantations of the West.

“This validation meeting is essential. It is where the zero draft becomes stronger, more representative and more actionable. We must ensure that every budget line, every programme and every intervention across government is aligned with the priorities of this Strategy. The Kampala Declaration is not just a continental commitment. It is a roadmap for transforming Nigeria’s agrifood system into one that is resilient, inclusive, productive and industrialised.”

He urged all stakeholders to integrate the strategy into their annual budget preparation processes, warning that it must not become “another document on the shelf.”

He said the strategy provides a harmonised implementation framework with clearly defined roles, responsibilities, timelines and accountability mechanisms while integrating CAADP Biennial Review indicators into national planning, budgeting and reporting systems.

Kyari noted that the blueprint also addresses major constraints limiting agricultural productivity, including climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, post-harvest losses and market volatility.

According to the minister, the strategy promotes blended financing from government, private investors and development partners, alongside risk-management tools such as agricultural insurance and affordable credit to support farmers. He added that special attention would be given to smallholder farmers, women, youths and other vulnerable groups.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, said the strategy aligns Nigeria’s agricultural priorities with Agenda 2063, the Sustainable Development Goals and the CAADP Kampala Declaration while reinforcing ongoing reforms in mechanisation, irrigation, value chain development, digital agriculture and private sector investment.

He said the validation exercise would identify gaps, strengthen implementation frameworks and improve coordination across institutions, adding that successful implementation would depend on adequate financing, effective monitoring and evaluation, institutional collaboration and sustained political commitment.

He said, “Our vision is to build an agrifood system that is productive, competitive, climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive, digitally enabled, market-oriented and attractive to our young people.

“Our objective is to ensure that no Nigerian goes hungry and that agriculture remains profitable for our farmers and agribusinesses.”