Agric Minister Highlights Staple Crops’ Benefits to Unlock Investment Potential
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari has highlighted the potential of strategic investments in staple crops like tomato, cassava, and maize, noting that it would unlock productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, strengthen food security and ensure strong financial returns for investors.
The Minister stated this at the Hand-in-Hand (HiH) Investment Forum held in Abuja recently, where he presented a paper titled: Investment Opportunities in Tomato, Maize and Cassava Value Chains
He noted that financing staple crops is not just an investment in agriculture but also in food security, economic resilience, and sustainable development across Africa.
According to him, ‘’the tomato investment estimated at $869 million, targets 72,000 hectares in Kano, Bauchi, and Borno. It will halve post-harvest losses, raise yields to as much as 30 tonnes per hectare, and directly benefit 36,000 farmers. The investment is projected to deliver an internal rate of return (IRR) of 12.5% and a net present value (NPV) of $171 million’’.
“For cassava, Kyari stated that Nigeria is seeking $382 million to boost productivity across 207,000 hectares in Ogun, Oyo, and Anambra, highlighting that the initiative will directly support 45,000 farmers, establish 375 processing units, and reduce dependence on imported starch and high-quality flour, with the portfolio projecting an IRR of 15.2% and an NPV of $187.7 million.
He added that ’the largest share goes to maize, with a planned investment of $1 billion across 1 million hectares in Katsina, Kaduna, and Oyo. Designed to close Nigeria’s 5 million metric tonne production gap, the programme will benefit over 420,000 farmers’ directly and nearly 3 million people indirectly. The financial outlook indicates an IRR of 18.7% and NPV of $75.6 million’’
According to him, ‘’the cases are not only profitable but also scalable and regionally significant. “Investing in these value chains means investing in food security, jobs, and regional trade under ECOWAS and AfCFTA’’.
Kyari stated further that the tomato value chain program is projected to directly benefit 36,000 farmers and indirectly impact over 246,000 individuals through job creation and value chain participation.
‘’It will also establish seed multiplication centers for high-quality inputs, clean energy-powered processing plants, including mobile units for rural areas, and stronger national institutions for quality assurance and agricultural research’’, he added.
The Minister disclosed that “investment in the cassava value chain would directly benefit more than 45,000 farmers and indirectly impact over 300,000 individuals through jobs and value chain participation. It will also establish 375 processing units, including mobile facilities, support farmer clusters and cooperatives, and expand access to finance and quality inputs.”
‘’By addressing national gaps in high-quality cassava flour and starch, this programme will reduce imports, strengthen food security, and supply industries that rely heavily on cassava derivatives’’.
The maize programme Kyari emphasized will directly benefit more than 420,000 farmers and indirectly impact close to 3 million people, noting that key interventions include the establishment of input hubs and one-stop centers for seeds, fertilizers, and extension services; building of new processing units for animal feed in poultry and aquaculture; as well as supporting research institutions for breeder seed development and quality control
In conclusion, the Minister emphasized that for investors, the key takeaway is clear: maize is a high-volume, high-demand crop with strong linkages to Nigeria’s livestock and poultry sectors. Investing in maize not only strengthens food security but also supports industrial growth, positioning Nigeria as a regional hub for animal feed.
