Lagos: The Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) and agriculture stakeholders have called for stronger innovation, investment, and policy reforms to build a resilient sector and secure Nigeria’s path to food security. They made the call at the NBCC Agriculture and Agro-Allied Summit 2026 with the theme: ‘Ensuring Food Security in Nigeria: Innovations, Investments and Policy for a Resilient Future’, on Thursday in Lagos.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the President of NBCC, Mr. Abimbola Olashore, emphasized that Nigeria was at a critical juncture where food security had evolved beyond a mere agricultural concern to a core element of economic stability, national security, and social well-being. Despite Nigeria’s rich endowment of vast arable land, a youthful population, and entrepreneurial capacity, the country continues to face significant barriers to achieving sustainable food security.
Olashore identified climate variability, supply chain inefficiencies, limited mechanization, post-harvest losses, and restricted access to finance as major challenges confronting the sector. He noted that these challenges also present opportunities for reform and transformation through climate-smart agriculture, digital tools, improved market access, and stronger agricultural value chains. He stressed the importance of policy reform, including improving access to agricultural finance, strengthening land use systems, reducing post-harvest losses through infrastructure investment, and enhancing agro-processing capacity.
Olashore further urged Nigeria to leverage emerging global trade opportunities such as the United Kingdom’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme to expand agro-exports and strengthen integration into global value chains. He reaffirmed NBCC’s commitment to advancing bilateral trade and investment between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, especially in strategic sectors such as agriculture.
Dr. Olayiwole Onasanya, a retired Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, highlighted that between 30.6 million and 35 million Nigerians were facing acute food insecurity as of late 2025 and early 2026. He attributed the crisis to conflict, high food inflation, and climate shocks, particularly in the North-East and North-West regions. Onasanya detailed government interventions, including a N1.5 trillion recapitalization for the Bank of Agriculture and an additional N250 billion low-interest loan facility for farmers, but noted mixed outcomes due to insecurity, inflation, and global conflicts.
Onasanya also disclosed plans to recapitalize the Bank of Industry (BoI) with three trillion naira and emphasized the need for massive investments and stronger collaboration among the three tiers of government. He advocated for a 10-year agricultural master plan driven by a value-chain approach, involving all stakeholders in the sector.
Mr. Kola Masha, the Founder of Babban Gona, highlighted Nigeria’s critical crossroads, noting that while agriculture contributed about 30 percent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, productivity growth remained slower than population growth. Masha warned of the threats posed by rising youth unemployment and insecurity, urging stakeholders to unlock $150 billion annually to empower farmers and transform Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
Mr. John Alamu, the Founder of Johnvents Group, pointed out that Nigeria’s food crisis was driven by systemic and interconnected factors, including insecurity, climate vulnerability, post-harvest losses, economic shocks, and underinvestment. He called for stronger political will, coordination, and capital deployment to address these issues.
Aare Kamarudeen Danjuma, Chairman of the NBCC Agriculture and Agro-Allied Committee, concluded by stating that food security was no longer merely a development goal but a national priority directly tied to economic stability and social resilience. He emphasized the need for the sector to evolve from subsistence farming to commercially viable, technology-driven, and export-oriented agribusiness models.