The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s efforts toward building an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood system through the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategic Action Plan (2026–2035).
Speaking at the National Stakeholder Consultation on the Nigeria CAADP Strategic Action Plan held recently in Abuja, the IFAD Nigeria Country Director, Dede Ekoue, commended the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) for convening the consultation and demonstrating leadership in the development of the national implementation framework for the Kampala CAADP Declaration.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the IFAD Country Director, Dr Isaac Mensah , Programme Officer, IFAD, who represented Mrs. Ekoue noted that IFAD remains highly committed to the Kampala CAADP Declaration, which focuses on ensuring inclusive and resilient agrifood systems with farmers placed at the centre of food systems transformation across Africa.
She congratulated the Federal Government of Nigeria for making significant progress in developing the Nigeria Strategic Action Plan linked to the implementation of the Kampala Declaration adopted by African Heads of State and Government during the January 2025 Extraordinary Summit in Kampala, Uganda.
According to her, the consultative process leading to the development of the strategic action plan reflects Nigeria’s commitment to inclusive participation and stakeholder engagement.
Mrs. Ekoue disclosed that during the continental consultations for the Kampala Declaration, the Federal Government and IFAD ensured the active participation of farmers, women, and youth agripreneurs in key regional and continental engagements held in Ethiopia, Dakar, and Kampala.
“We highly appreciate the consultative process put in place today by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to gather inputs from stakeholders to enrich the development of the Nigeria Strategic CAADP Action Plan,” she stated.
She explained that the strategic action plan aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), describing the initiative as a bold step toward agricultural modernization, food systems transformation, and resilience building in Nigeria.
The IFAD Country Director also acknowledged the collaboration among development partners and technical institutions involved in the process, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), IFAD, AGRA, the World Bank, FAO, and IFPRI.
She revealed that under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, IFAD coordinated several technical committee meetings that contributed significantly to the development of the Nigeria Strategic Action Plan and the successful organization of the stakeholder consultation.
She called on all stakeholders to ensure that the priorities of farmers, women, and youth agripreneurs are fully integrated into the design and implementation of the Nigeria Strategic Action Plan (2026–2035).
Reaffirming IFAD’s support for Nigeria’s agrifood systems transformation, Mrs. Ekoue stated that the organization currently manages a portfolio of over one billion dollars in Nigeria and stands ready to scale up investments, strengthen resilience, foster innovation, and support national development priorities.
“Going forward, IFAD remains fully committed to supporting the successful development and implementation of the Nigeria Strategic Action Plan (2026–2035),” she said.
She added that IFAD would provide comprehensive technical inputs into the process, leveraging contributions from Nigerian farmers who participated in the development of the Kampala Declaration.
Mrs. Ekoue concluded by commending the Federal Government through the FMAFS for positioning Nigeria among the few African countries making significant progress in the domestication and implementation planning of the Kampala CAADP Declaration.
