Nigeria’s federal government has unveiled sweeping agricultural reforms aimed at ensuring food is available, affordable, and accessible to every citizen, in a bold effort to counter rising food insecurity and economic instability.
Speaking to journalists in Maiduguri, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, outlined a comprehensive strategy targeting key barriers such as insecurity, flooding, and the country’s continued reliance on imported staples like wheat and rice.
“Nigeria imports over six million tonnes of wheat each year,” Kyari said. “To change this, we’ve launched a national wheat cultivation programme, with Cross River becoming the first southern state to join the initiative. It’s a major step in expanding our domestic wheat production.”
The government’s rice initiative has also shown strong results, with fertiliser support leading to an additional 58,000 tonnes of rice produced, which has been used to supply flood-affected regions with subsidised food.
Kyari emphasised that 80 per cent of the nation’s food is grown by smallholder farmers, and government policy is now focused on protecting their interests while ensuring the affordability of nutritious food for all Nigerians.
With Nigeria’s population expected to reach 400 million by 2050, the minister said food sustainability would hinge on the country’s transition to mechanised farming and the engagement of youth in agriculture.
In addition, the government is working with international partners such as Brazil and Belarus to boost productivity and reduce post-harvest losses. These partnerships will deliver improved storage, processing, and food aggregation services to small- and medium-scale farmers.
Despite current limitations—only three of Nigeria’s national silo sites are operational—Kyari confirmed that efforts were underway to revive the remaining facilities.
“Our goal is long-term food resilience,” he said. “We’re restoring equipment, upgrading supply chains, and ensuring that machinery and fertilisers are used effectively. Collaboration with both local stakeholders and international partners is critical to this mission.”
