The Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), Mohammed Ibrahim, has urged stakeholders in Nigeria’s agricultural sector to embrace data-driven approaches, innovation, and technology as essential tools for achieving sustainable food security.

Ibrahim made the call on Thursday during the 25th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Association of Agricultural Economists (NAAE) at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State. The conference was themed: “Rethinking Nigerian Agricultural Systems through Innovation, ICT and Food Systems.”

Highlighting the urgent need for reliable agricultural data, Ibrahim said Nigeria’s vast land resources and human capital remain underutilized due to poor data collection and management. He stressed that the lack of timely and coordinated data undermines planning, resource allocation, and impact evaluation across the agricultural value chain.

“This gap affects every aspect of our agricultural system — from identifying genuine farmers and mapping farmlands to tracking yields, forecasting demand, and measuring impact,” he said.

Citing successful examples from Kenya, Ghana, and Rwanda, Ibrahim noted that digital agriculture strategies in those countries have enhanced transparency, accountability, and operational efficiency — lessons Nigeria must urgently adopt.

He further revealed that NADF has developed an integrated digital platform in partnership with private-sector innovators to enhance agricultural financing and programme delivery. The platform allows the Fund to monitor beneficiaries, track performance, and ensure alignment with national data systems.

“Our aim is to ensure that every naira spent by the Fund generates measurable, evidence-based results,” Ibrahim said.

Ibrahim also emphasized the importance of supporting startups and small enterprises in agritech, noting that the Fund is designing innovative funding models to connect farmers with markets, finance, and information.

However, he cautioned that technology alone is not enough. Strong intellectual input from agricultural economists and researchers is critical to translating data into actionable insights for policy formulation and investment decisions.

“Without reliable data, we cannot design effective subsidies, forecast yields, or evaluate impact. A government with resources but without credible statistics risks investing blindly,” he warned.

The NAAE conference brought together academics, policymakers, and development partners to explore ways of integrating digital technology and innovation into Nigeria’s food systems to boost productivity, efficiency, and sustainability.