Nigeria's Senate Advances Key Bills to Strengthen Food Reserves

News in Brief

-The Nigerian Senate advanced three agriculture bills for grain management, cassava flour mandates, and rice production to close supply gaps via research and modernisation.

-These bills address food crises from insecurity and climate issues, aiming for self-sufficiency; they now proceed to the next legislative stage.

The Nigerian Senate has advanced three important policies to improve the country's food security and productivity, as each of the legislations touches core challenges of food production and preservation.

The bills include the National Food Reserve Agency (Establishment) Bill, 2026 (SB. 139), the National Cassava Policy Coordination Council Bill, 2026 (SB. 254) and the National Rice Development Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2026 (SB. 541). They have advanced to the next stage following the presentation of reports by the Agricultural Production, Services and Rural Development Committee Chairman, Sen. Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central).

Details of the National Food Reserve Bill

The National Food Reserve Agency (establishment) bill, sponsored by Senator Saliu Mustapha, seeks to institutionalise the management of Nigeria’s strategic grain reserves by establishing a dedicated agency. With this initiative, Nigeria will move away from unsustainable ad-hoc food interventions toward a more structured system. As the agency stockpiles agricultural products, it will also be responsible for stabilising food prices during periods of scarcity and providing a critical buffer against climate-induced crop failures or supply chain disruptions, which in recent times have affected many smallholder farmers, denying them profits from their hard-earned harvests.

During the committee report presentation, Senator Mustapha explained that the bill is expected to create a buffer system to cushion the impact of shortages and emergencies. He noted that the initiative was designed to address recurring vulnerabilities in Nigeria’s food system, particularly as threats to agricultural productivity continue to grow.

Bills for Cassava and Rice Councils

The National Cassava Policy Coordination Council bill, also sponsored by Senator Mustapha, seeks to establish a central coordinating body to oversee the mandatory inclusion of cassava flour in edible flour production and to drive the industrial use of cassava in bio-ethanol and starch production. The bill would mandate a minimum of 20 per cent cassava inclusion in flour production, to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported wheat while promoting local agriculture and industrial use of cassava. 

As the council is set to coordinate value chain enhancements, benefiting millions of smallholder farmers, it could also revive stalled initiatives, such as the cassava bread policy, which cassava growers say has cost Nigeria over $200 million annually in lost opportunities and import reliance. 

The National Rice Development Council of Nigeria (Establishment) bill will create a council to coordinate research into flood-resistant and high-yield rice seeds, regulate production standards, and oversee the modernisation of milling technologies, all in the effort to eliminate the 2.3 million tonnes rice supply gap and eventually achieve self-sufficiency.

Implications for the Nigerian Food production sector

Nigeria’s food supply chain has come under increasing pressure in recent years due to insecurity in key farming regions, climate-related shocks such as flooding and irregular rainfall, and rising costs of agricultural inputs. These policies can change the current situation of Nigeria's food production and distribution, helping it to manage the food insecurity crisis while bringing it closer to the food self-sufficiency goal.

As the Senate has unanimously passed the bills, it will now be transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence before being forwarded to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent.’