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The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has outlined ongoing efforts to strengthen domestic food production and reverse food insecurity in Nigeria.

Presenting the ministry’s 2026 budget proposal before a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Agricultural Production, Services and Rural Development, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said government interventions are focused on expanding production, improving sustainability and stabilising the nation’s food system.

This, he said, was as funding limitations, high input costs and structural bottlenecks continue to weigh heavily on farmers across the country.

He said the ministry’s strategy is anchored on the food security emergency declared by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with emphasis on scaling agricultural output across value chains and strengthening the resilience of farmers.

He thanked lawmakers for their continued support to the ministry through successive budget cycles and reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to prudent utilisation of public resources.

According to him, despite prevailing financial constraints, Nigerian farmers have shown strong commitment to production, with government surveys indicating marginal increases in output. He noted, however, that sustaining those gains requires addressing the structural challenges confronting producers nationwide.

He told the joint committee that the ministry had submitted its Agricultural Performance in Nigeria report covering 2024 and 2025 to provide lawmakers with evidence of ongoing interventions and outcomes across the sector.

On budget implementation, Abdullahi explained that personnel expenditure under the 2025 appropriation was largely implemented, but capital project execution has been significantly constrained by delayed releases. For the main ministry, about 30 per cent of the capital allocation representing roughly ₦18 billion is yet to be released.
 
He added that only funds tied to constituency related projects have seen partial disbursement, with about ₦19.8 billion released so far.

He said the limited capital releases have slowed programme execution and restricted the ministry’s capacity to scale support for farmers and production systems.

For the 2026 fiscal year, Abdullahi said the agricultural sector is projected to receive about ₦1 trillion in total allocation. Within this envelope, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is expected to receive approximately ₦262 billion for capital expenditure and about ₦19.18 billion for recurrent costs, including personnel and overheads.

The minister stressed that the most pressing concern confronting farmers remains the rising cost of inputs, driven by broader macroeconomic pressures beyond the ministry’s direct control.

He cited fertiliser production as a major example, noting that gas pricing policies significantly affect manufacturers’ ability to produce affordable fertiliser for Nigerian farmers. He added that taxation policies affecting agricultural chemicals and pesticides also increase production costs.

Abdullahi said farmers now face a difficult balance between rising production costs and consumer expectations for lower food prices.

According to him, while Nigerians demand affordable food, farmers are increasingly concerned that market prices do not reflect the cost of production, making sustainability uncertain for many producers.

He urged lawmakers to support policy interventions that would improve access to inputs, support domestic fertiliser production and reduce cost pressures across the agricultural value chain.

He pointed out that due to poor distribution methods in the past about 7000 tractors nationwide are not being put to good use, a situation he said cannot occur again. 

The minister also emphasised the need for stronger technology adoption to improve productivity, noting that access to high yielding crop varieties and effective extension services remains critical to raising output levels.

He said Nigeria’s agricultural productivity remains below potential, making technological advancement and knowledge transfer essential to long term food security.

Abdullahi noted that investments by government and development partners have helped sustain agriculture’s contribution to the national economy. The sector accounted for 24.05 per cent of Gross Domestic Product in 2022 and 24.10 per cent in 2023, rising to 29.44 per cent in 2024, with 26.17 per cent recorded in the second quarter of 2025.

Despite these contributions, he acknowledged that public funding for agriculture remains below continental benchmarks. Nigeria’s allocation to the sector stands at about four per cent of the national budget, significantly lower than the 10 per cent target under the Maputo Declaration.

He said while funding levels have improved in recent years, more investment and timely release of appropriated funds are required to unlock the sector’s full potential.

Abdullahi assured lawmakers that the ministry remains committed to making judicious use of available resources to support increased production, strengthen value chains and improve food availability nationwide.

The minister told the joint committee that continued collaboration between the National Assembly and the executive arm of government will be critical to strengthening implementation capacity and ensuring that public spending translates into tangible improvements in food supply and farmer livelihoods.

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, Rt. Hon. Bello A. Ka’oje, warned that reduced funding for the agricultural sector could undermine Nigeria’s food security ambitions and weaken economic recovery efforts if urgent corrective measures are not taken.

He described the exercise as a constitutional responsibility anchored on transparency, accountability and prudent oversight, stressing that lawmakers are determined to ensure that public spending translates into measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.

According to him, agriculture remains central to national stability, serving as the primary driver of food security, employment generation, poverty reduction and sustainable development. He said the performance of the sector directly affects the welfare of households across the country, particularly under prevailing economic conditions.

Ka’oje said the committee’s review would be guided by the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with a central focus on how public resources are being translated into actionable strategies capable of delivering food self sufficiency, mechanisation, youth empowerment and import substitution.

He said the committee would undertake a holistic review of the ministry’s performance across three fiscal cycles. For the 2024 budget, the ministry is expected to provide a detailed implementation report linking expenditure to verifiable outcomes and explaining any delays or challenges. 

For the 2025 budget, the committee requires a performance review measured against targets and key performance indicators, including corrective actions taken to address constraints. For the 2026 proposal, lawmakers are demanding an evidence based defence demonstrating clear alignment with national priorities.

The lawmaker expressed concern over what he described as a troubling contradiction in budgetary allocations to the agricultural sector. He noted that while total planned national expenditure is projected to rise by 21 per cent to ₦58.47 trillion in 2026, the allocation to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has declined sharply from ₦2.22 trillion in 2025 to ₦1.45 trillion in the 2026 proposal.

He further observed that allocations to agencies operating under the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Plan and the National Agricultural Sector Investment Plan have also been reduced by more than 15 per cent.According to Ka’oje, the reduction threatens to weaken the sector at a time when agriculture is expected to play a leading role in driving the projected 4.7 per cent economic growth in 2026.

He warned that inadequate funding could deepen food insecurity, weaken productivity and derail broader economic recovery efforts.

The committee chairman outlined key recommendations to guide deliberations and the eventual passage of the 2026 budget. He urged government to prioritise increased funding for agriculture and ensure timely release of appropriated funds, particularly for programmes under national agricultural investment frameworks.

He also called for inclusive implementation frameworks that guarantee meaningful participation of women and youth in agricultural programmes.

Ka’oje advocated reforms to the National Agricultural Development Fund, recommending that it be granted first line charge status to strengthen financing for the sector. He also proposed that resources be redirected toward critical investment areas including affordable credit access, mechanisation, post harvest loss reduction, irrigation development, climate resilient agriculture, research and extension services.

He stressed the need to consolidate food security interventions under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Ministry of Livestock Development to enhance oversight and accountability.

On constituency projects, the committee chairman called for strict alignment with agricultural priorities and urged restructuring of projects that are not logically or geographically feasible.

He also emphasised the importance of sustained stakeholder engagement through national consultative meetings on agricultural budgeting to strengthen public finance management in the sector.

Ka’oje said Nigeria cannot achieve sustainable food and nutrition security without strategic and timely financing, warning that fragmented or delayed funding would continue to weaken resilience and increase hunger.

He noted that public investment must focus on expanding access to credit, improving input availability, strengthening technology adoption, reducing post harvest losses and supporting climate resilient agricultural practices.

The lawmaker assured ministry officials of the committee’s commitment to constructive engagement, emphasising that lawmakers are seeking partnership rather than confrontation in strengthening the sector.

He urged government officials to provide clear and factual presentations to enable the National Assembly produce a credible and implementable 2026 agricultural budget capable of improving farmer livelihoods, strengthening agribusinesses and ensuring affordable food supply for Nigerians.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Production and Rural Development, Senator Saliu Mustapha, urged the Federal Government to prioritise adequate funding and timely release of resources to the agricultural sector to safeguard food security and support economic growth.

Mustapha said low implementation of capital projects in the 2025 budget had constrained productivity in the sector.
He noted that while total national expenditure is projected to rise to ₦58.47 trillion in 2026, allocation to the agriculture ministry declined from ₦2.22 trillion in 2025 to ₦1.45 trillion, warning that insufficient funding could worsen food insecurity and undermine economic recovery.

The committee chairman said agriculture remains Nigeria’s most viable pathway to poverty reduction and employment generation, stressing that strengthened implementation and predictable funding are essential to stabilise the nation’s food system.

He assured that the National Assembly would work with the ministry to ensure the 2026 budget delivers tangible benefits for Nigerians.

End