Nigeria’s push to stabilise food supply and strengthen agricultural productivity is gaining momentum, as the Federal Government says its reforms are beginning to deliver measurable results across the sector.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has revealed that the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) provided N700 billion in risk cover for 199,275 farmers over the past two years, generating N2.43 billion in premium income while paying N200 million in claims to support farmers affected by agricultural losses.
Kyari disclosed this during the 2026 Ministerial Stakeholders’ Engagement Retreat on Agricultural Transformation held in Abuja over the weekend.
The minister said the intervention was part of broader federal efforts to strengthen farmers’ resilience and protect agricultural investments against risks, noting that improved insurance support was helping farmers remain productive despite challenges.
He also stated that the government’s ongoing interventions aimed at tackling food inflation were beginning to yield positive outcomes, explaining that prices of several staple food commodities had dropped significantly across the country.
According to him, the decline represents a sharp contrast to previous years when rising food prices placed severe pressure on households nationwide.
Kyari added that renewed confidence in the sector had also attracted fresh investments from local and international agribusiness operators, injecting millions of dollars into agricultural ventures and stimulating economic growth.
He explained that the government’s support had helped improve productivity, generate employment, and expand income opportunities for farmers and agribusiness operators across the value chain.
Kyari said the administration had prioritised the development of key agricultural value chains including rice, maize, wheat, millet, sorghum, yam, cocoa, kenaf, cowpea, cassava, soybeans, cotton, onion, tomato and oil palm to position Nigeria as a stronger player in the global agricultural market.
He noted that interventions such as the distribution of improved seeds, agrochemicals, pest and disease control packages, safety kits and farmer capacity-building programmes carried out between 2024 and 2025 had significantly strengthened agricultural value chains and boosted productivity.
The minister further disclosed that government initiatives had supported farmers in transitioning from subsistence farming to commercially viable agribusiness operations, contributing to improved livelihoods, job creation and national food security.
As part of its broader agricultural development efforts, Kyari said the Federal Government distributed more than 1.9 million bags of fertiliser to nearly one million farmers within the period under review, while also promoting sustainable soil management through the use of organic fertilisers.
He added that several infrastructure projects were implemented to improve agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods, including the construction of modern markets, the establishment of 10 large-scale integrated processing plants across the six geopolitical zones, and the setting up of seven composite flour compact milling factories in various states.
Two agribusiness incubation centres were also established at Federal University Lokoja and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike to strengthen training, innovation and enterprise development within the sector.
Kyari also highlighted rural development initiatives implemented between 2024 and 2025, including the construction of approximately 170 kilometres of asphalt roads and 57 kilometres of earth and surface roads to improve connectivity and market access for rural communities.
According to him, the government also installed 296 motorised and solar-powered boreholes alongside water treatment plants to enhance access to clean water, while 3,596 solar street lights were deployed to improve security and mobility in rural areas.
In addition, 69 rural housing and market facilities were constructed to support economic activities and improve the quality of life in farming communities.
The minister noted that the Federal Government had also strengthened key agricultural institutions to support the transformation agenda, including the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service, Bank of Agriculture and National Agricultural Development Fund.
He said the quarantine service recently achieved a milestone by securing export certification for 30 major agro-commodities, enabling Nigerian farmers and agribusinesses to access international markets while boosting export earnings.
Kyari further revealed that the Federal Government approved a N250 billion facility for the Bank of Agriculture to provide smallholder farmers with access to credit at single-digit interest rates, aimed at improving mechanisation, increasing food production and strengthening rural livelihoods.
Meanwhile, stakeholders at the retreat urged the Federal Government to significantly increase funding for agriculture, arguing that greater investment in the sector would create jobs, reduce poverty and help address insecurity across the country.
