The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security on Friday in Abuja held its Quarterly Citizens and Stakeholders’ Engagement Session, where the government reviewed ongoing efforts to tackle food inflation and strengthen agricultural production.
Addressing stakeholders, the Minister, Sen. Abubakar Kyari said the administration was working to reposition key institutions to support farmers and expand access to agricultural finance.
“We are strengthening agricultural institutions and repositioning them to drive food security and upscale production,” he said. “A key area of focus has been strengthening agricultural insurance and finance facilities through institutions such as the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation, the National Agricultural Quarantine Service, the Bank of Agriculture and the National Agricultural Development Fund.”
The minister noted that the National Agricultural Development Fund had recorded significant progress in the past two years through a number of targeted initiatives aimed at improving productivity and farmer resilience.
He said the Fund has supported efforts to revive Nigeria’s ginger industry while also carrying out baseline studies to identify research gaps across key agricultural value chains. He added that feasibility assessments had been conducted for irrigation development, including Sabke irrigation farm in Katsina State, which is expected to be the blueprint for replication across River Basin Development Authorities nationwide.
The minister also highlighted the Farm Input Supply Programme, AgGrow, a national programme, through which farmers are receiving essential inputs such as fertilisers and improved seeds. He further noted that the Fund had supported agricultural value chains through on-lending initiatives and had intervened to assist farmers affected by flooding in several states.
The Executive Secretary of the Fund, Mohammed Ibrahim, attended the session alongside other stakeholders, as the ministry continues its engagement with citizens and sector partners on agricultural policy and programme delivery.
