FG launches new agrifood investment plan for climate-smart farming

The Federal Government has unveiled a new agrifood investment plan aimed at promoting climate-smart farming, boosting food production, and creating jobs for millions of Nigerians.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, announced the plan yesterday in Abuja, stressing that the initiative is designed to strengthen food systems, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and ensure affordable diets for citizens.

Kyari recalled that in 2022, the ministry, then known as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, entered into a partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) through the Monitoring and Analysing Food and Agricultural Policies Programme. According to him, this collaboration has shaped agricultural policymaking in Nigeria by providing critical data and policy analysis.

The minister said the new investment plan would prioritise improved seed distribution, sustainable soil management, increased food production, agroforestry, and regenerative agriculture. It will also empower smallholder farmers—particularly women and youth—with the tools and resources needed to thrive.

“Our National Agrifood Systems Investment Plan is designed not only to boost production and create jobs but also to lower greenhouse gas emissions while promoting reforestation,” Kyari said.

He noted that the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s forthcoming National Adaptation Plan, which integrates climate resilience into agriculture, water, health, and infrastructure policies. Nigeria, he added, is positioning itself under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement to leverage carbon credits from climate-smart agriculture, afforestation, and ecosystem restoration.

Kyari listed several partnership programmes already supporting the sector, including the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones, the Value Chain Development Programme, the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise in the Niger Delta, the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, and the National Agricultural Growth Scheme – Agro Pockets.

The minister urged international partners such as FAO, IFAD, and the Global Environment Facility to scale up financial support through concessional loans, blended finance, and risk-sharing models that can reach farmers at scale.

“Nigeria’s agriculture sector employs more than 35 per cent of the population and contributes about 23 per cent of GDP, yet it continues to face challenges such as low yields, high post-harvest losses, and climate vulnerability,” he noted.

He assured stakeholders that the government is determined to modernise the sector through mechanisation, irrigation expansion, and the adoption of improved seed varieties in line with global commitments under the Paris Agreement and the UN Food Systems Summit.