FG, Stakeholders Validate Nigeria’s 10-Year Agrifood Strategy

News in Brief:

—FG and stakeholders validate Nigeria’s Agrifood System Strategy and Action Plan to align with the CAADP Kampala Declaration 2026–2035.

—Minister Kyari said the plan will help address fragmentation in the sector, while IFAD’s Dede Ekoue said it will support women, youth, value chains and climate resilience.

Nigeria's Federal Government, ActionAid Nigeria and other stakeholders have validated the Agrifood System Strategy and Action Plan to align the country with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Declaration 2026–2035. 

The plan is expected to serve as Nigeria’s blueprint for agricultural transformation, investment coordination and food system resilience over the next decade.

The validation meeting in Abuja brought together government officials, development partners and sector stakeholders to review the document before implementation. 

This strategy could become Nigeria’s response to the continental agenda adopted by African leaders, with emphasis on industrialisation, value addition, climate resilience and better coordination across the agrifood value chain.

Why the plan matters

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, while speaking at the event, stated that the strategy was developed following a presidential directive to contextualise and domesticate the Kampala Declaration for Nigeria. He said agriculture remains central to the country’s development because it supports the livelihoods of more than 70 per cent of Nigerians, powers rural economies and contributes significantly to gross domestic product.

Kyari said the new action plan goes beyond subsistence farming and is intended to promote agricultural industrialisation, value addition and resilience. He added that the document is also meant to address fragmentation and weak coordination, which he said had limited the results of past interventions.

According to the minister, the strategy will provide a single framework to attract public and private investment, integrate CAADP Biennial Review indicators into planning and budgeting, and mobilise blended financing to expand access to inputs, technology, credit and agricultural insurance. He urged stakeholders to strengthen the implementation framework, measurable targets, timelines and performance indicators, especially for smallholder farmers, women, youth and vulnerable groups.

“This is not just a document; it is a living blueprint that will guide our actions, investments and partnerships over the next decade,” Kyari said. He called on federal, state and local government institutions, alongside the private sector and civil society, to align their budgets and programmes with the strategy.

Stakeholders’ Views

Dede Ekoue, Country Director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), described the action plan as critical to collective efforts to transform Nigeria’s agrifood system. She said the plan contains six pillars focused on empowering women and youth, transforming agricultural value chains, improving farmer profitability and strengthening climate resilience.

Ekoue also stressed the need for stronger governance and coordination, noting that the agrifood sector covers agriculture, livestock and aquaculture. She said effective coordination would be essential if all actors were to work together to deliver results across the sector.

The validation of the strategy comes at a time when policymakers are seeking to reduce policy fragmentation and improve agricultural spending outcomes. Reports on the meeting said the government wants both national and subnational budgets to reflect the new framework so that implementation does not remain on paper.

CAADP context

CAADP is an AU-led strategy framework that was adopted by African leaders in Maputo in 2003, with a commitment to allocate 10 per cent of national budgets to agriculture and target 6 per cent annual agricultural growth. The 2026 Kampala Declaration updates that agenda with a broader systems-based approach that includes value chains, resilience, inclusion and governance.

The renewed framework offers an opportunity for Nigeria to integrate planning, budgeting and execution under a single national strategy. If implemented effectively, it could help improve food security, support rural livelihoods and attract more investment into agriculture and allied value chains.