The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has called for stronger coordination between federal and state governments to address fragmented agricultural policies and boost food security across Nigeria.
Kyari said Nigeria could no longer afford a situation where states pursue similar agricultural programmes independently, regardless of their natural resources, infrastructure and market potential.
He spoke at a Community of Practice meeting on the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Declaration in Maiduguri.
The minister said the Federal Government was promoting a state-specialisation approach that would align public spending, private investment and infrastructure with the comparative advantages of different parts of the country.
According to him, federal and state governments must harmonise their policies, budgets, data and investments to build a coordinated national agrifood system.
Kyari said the 10-year National Agrifood System Strategy and Action Plan would provide a framework for clearer responsibilities, timelines and accountability while helping governments align their budgets with agreed agricultural priorities.
He added that the strategy incorporates CAADP Biennial Review indicators into national planning, budgeting and reporting to enable authorities to assess the effectiveness and cost of interventions and determine which programmes could be expanded.
The minister also disclosed that early procurement under the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative had generated N61.58 billion in savings and helped secure fertiliser supplies for the 2026 farming season.
He said the government was targeting the delivery of 1.1 million metric tonnes of fertiliser this year, stressing that access to agricultural inputs remained critical to sustaining production and reducing food prices.
On mechanisation, Kyari said the National Agricultural Mechanisation Policy and National Agricultural Mechanisation Investment Strategy were designed to replace fragmented equipment interventions with a more sustainable mechanisation system.
He disclosed that a proposed mega tractor assembly plant could produce between 2,000 and 4,000 tractors annually, potentially improving farmers’ access to machinery and reducing dependence on imported equipment.
Kyari identified irrigation, quality seeds, agricultural research, extension services, rural infrastructure, financing and post-harvest management as essential components of Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
He also said the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones were designed to link production areas with processors and markets, enabling the country to derive greater value from agricultural commodities.
The minister urged state governments to develop concrete action plans on rural infrastructure, extension services, credit, quality inputs, mechanisation, post-harvest losses and climate-resilient agriculture.
He further called for increased participation of women and young people in agricultural value chains and improved conditions for private investors and development finance institutions to support the sector.
