Abuja: The Federal Government, ActionAid Nigeria, and other stakeholders have successfully validated Nigeria’s Agrifood System Strategy and Action Plan, designed to implement the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Declaration 2026-2035. Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, highlighted the strategic blueprint’s development following a presidential directive aimed at domesticating the Kampala Declaration for Nigeria.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Kyari addressed the National Validation of Nigeria’s Strategy and Action Plan, emphasizing agriculture’s central role in Nigeria’s development. The sector supports over 70 percent of Nigerians, drives rural economies, and significantly contributes to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, the minister acknowledged ongoing challenges in agriculture, particularly those posed by climate change, which endangers smallholder farmers’ livelihoods and national food sovereignty.
The minister stated, “While the Kampala Declaration provides the continental framework, the new Action Plan is Nigeria’s own response. It moves beyond subsistence farming to champion agricultural industrialization, value addition, and resilience.” The strategy aims to address past issues of fragmentation and weak coordination, offering a unified framework to attract both public and private investments, integrate CAADP Biennial Review indicators, and enhance access to inputs, technology, credit, and agricultural insurance.
Kyari urged stakeholders to contribute input to strengthen implementation arrangements, set measurable targets, timelines, and performance indicators, focusing particularly on smallholder farmers, women, youth, and vulnerable groups. He emphasized that the strategy is a living document guiding actions, investments, and partnerships over the next decade, urging alignment of federal, state, and local budgets and programs with the strategy.
Dede Ekoue, the Country Director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), described the strategic action plan as crucial for transforming Nigeria’s agrifood system. The plan comprises six pillars aimed at empowering women and youth, transforming agricultural value chains, enhancing profitability for farmers, and strengthening climate resilience. Ekoue stressed the importance of proper governance and coordination within the sector, ensuring all stakeholders work collaboratively.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that CAADP was initially adopted by African leaders in Maputo in 2003, with commitments to allocate 10 percent of national budgets to agriculture and achieve six percent annual agricultural growth. The 2026 Kampala Declaration renews this commitment with a broader systems-based approach, encompassing value chains, resilience, inclusivity, and governance.