By Boluwatife Adedokun
Nigeria’s food system is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation as farmers confront rising climate shocks, volatile markets, and a wave of technological disruption reshaping how crops are grown and sold. In rural communities where agriculture remains the backbone of local economies, the pressure to adapt has become a matter of survival.
Across Africa, 2025 is emerging as a pivotal year for agricultural innovation. The rapid expansion of digital tools, the push for regenerative practices, and intensified government interventions are collectively reshaping the sector. But the extent to which smallholder farmers benefit from these changes remains an open question.
A rising trend is the gradual spread of AI‑powered advisory tools, drone‑based crop monitoring, and digital extension services — technologies increasingly deployed to help farmers respond to erratic weather, pests, and declining soil health. Experts say these tools could drastically improve yields if scaled properly. Yet, adoption remains uneven. Many farmers still struggle with limited smartphone access, poor connectivity, and low digital literacy, narrowing the reach of solutions that are supposed to democratize information. As analysts of the AgriTech sector note, the benefits of artificial intelligence in agriculture remain difficult to access for the majority of smallholder farmers.
In response to worsening climate patterns, interest in regenerative and climate‑smart agriculture has surged. Development agencies and private companies are financing large programmes to introduce practices such as cover cropping, crop rotation, minimal tillage, and soil-restoration techniques. One notable example is the collaboration between AGRA, Nestlé Nigeria and TechnoServe — via the initiative dubbed StreFaS — which seeks to embed regenerative practices across value chains for maize, soybean, rice and sorghum production in Kaduna and Nasarawa states. The project aims to improve soil health, reduce greenhouse gases, boost biodiversity and create formal market access for participating farmers.
Research institutes and policy makers are also pushing for improved, climate-resilient seeds. The federal government, through the office of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), recently stressed plans to prioritise modern seed varieties to achieve food sovereignty and buffer agriculture against the increasing threats posed by climate change. But even as these improved seeds are made available, challenges around distribution and extension support remain. Without proper outreach and training, many smallholder farmers risk being excluded from these advances.
In a major policy boost, the FMAFS announced that the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved a N250 billion credit facility to support smallholder farmers nationwide, along with recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) and deployment of over 2,000 tractors under a mechanisation drive intended to cultivate hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland. This, according to government statements, is part of a broader strategy to increase staple production, stabilise food supply and create jobs. The launch of this financing package marks one of the most ambitious efforts by any Nigerian government to overhaul agricultural financing in recent years.
Meanwhile, food‑system experts are calling for more coordinated action from farmers, agribusinesses and policy‑makers. At a recent conference on sustainable agriculture held in Lagos, commentators warned that climate change, population growth and resource pressures demand urgent reforms toward sustainable, inclusive food systems. They argued that Nigeria must not only invest in technology and seeds, but also build robust institutional frameworks and attract green investment to avoid repeating decades of under‑investment and food insecurity.
As traditional farming becomes increasingly vulnerable, attention is now shifting toward more innovative methods including controlled-environment agriculture, greenhouse systems, hydroponics, and value‑chain innovations — a direction some stakeholders believe will play a critical role in future food security, especially as urbanisation intensifies and arable land becomes more contested.
Across these developments, one reality remains clear: farmers stand at the center of Nigeria’s climate and food-security struggle. Their resilience underpins the country’s economy, aligns with global commitments to sustainable development, and determines whether investments and policies translate into real gains on the ground. Yet they continue to shoulder the heaviest burden of climate shocks, market instability, and structural inefficiencies.
As new technologies emerge and institutions promise reform, the future of Nigerian agriculture depends on whether smallholder farmers — those who feed the nation , are supported, trained, and equipped for the challenges ahead. The stakes are high, and the outcomes will shape not just rural livelihoods but the country’s entire food landscape.
