The Federal Government has introduced a comprehensive set of agricultural reforms aimed at ending hunger, boosting food production, and cutting post-harvest losses estimated at over $10 billion annually. The reforms align with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for national food security and prosperity.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and the Minister of State, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, announced the new measures in a joint statement on Thursday.
Kyari described agriculture as the backbone of Nigeria’s economy and the foundation of national renewal.
“Agriculture remains the single largest employer of labour and contributes more than one-quarter of our GDP. Beyond these figures lies a deeper truth — agriculture is the measure of our nation’s resilience and the foundation of our collective renewal,” he said.
He explained that the government’s reforms are designed to end hunger, ensure food sufficiency, and drastically reduce post-harvest losses across the agricultural value chain.
“Together, these initiatives will build a connected post-harvest system to cut losses valued at over $10 billion annually, improve food quality, raise farmer incomes, and stabilise prices nationwide,” Kyari added.
According to the minister, the administration is deepening mechanisation, expanding irrigation, and strengthening storage systems to make food abundance a reality for every Nigerian household.
He reaffirmed President Tinubu’s directive to modernise agriculture, quoting the President’s call for farmers to transition “from hoes and cutlasses to tractors and harvesters,” stressing that “food sufficiency is the first currency of national stability.”
Kyari noted that the government is already implementing key programmes such as the National Agricultural Growth Scheme–Agro-Pocket, the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, and the Nigeria Postharvest Systems Transformation Programme (NiPHaST).
He highlighted a major milestone — the successful introduction of rainfed wheat cultivation in Kuru, Plateau State — an innovation by the Lake Chad Research Institute that extends wheat farming beyond irrigated zones.
“With the success of rainfed wheat across Plateau, Taraba, and Cross River states, Nigeria is moving toward year-round farming and self-sufficiency in wheat production,” he said.
On post-harvest management, Kyari described the NiPHaST initiative as a legacy project designed to reduce food waste, improve quality, and stabilise market prices by connecting farmers, cooperatives, and storage facilities nationwide.
He also disclosed that operations at the National Strategic Grain Reserve Silos in Zamfara, Katsina, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Niger, Osun, Edo, and Kwara states were being upgraded to support emergency interventions and market stability.
On financing, Kyari announced that President Tinubu had approved the recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture with N1.5 trillion, along with a N250 billion financing window for smallholder farmers.
“The Bank of Agriculture, in partnership with Heifer Nigeria, has launched the Renewed Hope National Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, which will expand affordable access to modern equipment nationwide,” he said.
Kyari added that the National Agricultural Development Fund is now fully operational to expand agribusiness financing, complementing the Bank of Agriculture’s role.
He further stated that the government is investing heavily in rural infrastructure such as feeder roads, mini-dams, solar-powered boreholes, and market access facilities to strengthen rural livelihoods.
Senator Abdullahi, the Minister of State, said the government’s drive toward food self-sufficiency would be anchored on climate-smart and inclusive agricultural reforms.
“We are committed to actions that strengthen national solidarity in the fight against hunger, malnutrition, and poverty, in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.
Abdullahi emphasised that achieving food security would require maximising the production of major crops such as maize, wheat, sorghum, millet, soybean, cassava, yam, and cowpeas.
He said the Federal Government is prioritising climate-smart agriculture by developing resilient crop varieties and promoting integrated soil-crop and pest management systems.
Other major initiatives include the Dry Season Initiative covering 500,000 hectares of all-year farming, the Every Home a Garden Initiative by First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and the Nigerian Farmers’ Soil Health Scheme, which offers crop-specific fertiliser solutions.
“Our broader goals focus on reducing import dependence, reviving agribusiness, and positioning Nigeria as a leading food supplier in West Africa,” Abdullahi said.
He recalled that the Federal Government had earlier declared a state of emergency on food security and converted idle institutional lands into food production hubs as part of its nationwide agricultural revival.
For decades, agriculture has sustained millions of Nigerians, yet challenges such as low mechanisation, poor infrastructure, and high post-harvest losses have limited its potential. The government’s new initiatives aim to reverse this trend and usher in an era of food abundance.