President Tinubu’s Food Security Drive Yields Results As Essential Food Prices Drop by 50%”Nationwide
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen Abubakar Kyari has disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate to achieve food security is yielding significant results as prices of essential food commodities across the country have dropped by 50%
In a statement by the Ministry’s Asst Director (Information) Mrs Eremah Anthonia, on behalf of the Head of Department, the Minister disclosed this at the Quarterly Citizens/Stakeholders Engagement Retreat on Agricultural Transformation, held in Abuja recently
He stated that since the inception of the present administration, food security has been a top priority and acknowledged the critical role the Ministry played in maintaining its stability and sovereignty nationally
Kyari pointed out that, “to achieve this, we focused on boosting local production and reducing our reliance on imports, with the ultimate goal of making affordable, nutritious food accessible to all Nigerians. Our efforts are starting to pay off, with a notable impact on food prices”.
“This is in contrast to previous years when food prices skyrocketed, way beyond what most Nigerians could afford. These efforts reflect our commitment to improving food security and the overall well-being of citizens. We are working to sustain this trend by addressing high input costs to ensure food remains accessible and affordable”. The Minister emphasized.
Kyari further stated that, “our strategic focus on developing key value chains is positioning Nigeria as a major player in global agricultural market. We have prioritized and developed the rice, maize, wheat, millet, sorghum, yam, cocoa, kenaf, cowpea, cassava, soybeans, cotton, onion, FMAFS tomato, and oil palm value chains, thereby creating opportunities for millions of smallholder farmers and other stakeholders”.
“The provision of high-quality seeds, agrochemicals, safety kits, pest and disease management packs, coupled with capacity building initiatives undertaken in years 2024 and 2025 has significantly bolstered our agricultural value chains. These interventions have empowered farmers to boost productivity, reduce losses, and improve product quality, ultimately enhancing their livelihoods and contributing to a more robust agricultural sector.
“By enhancing their productivity, we have helped these farmers to transition from subsistence farming to thriving agribusinesses, contributing to national food security, employment generation, and economic growth”, Kyari added.
He stated further that in the last two years, the Federal Government has boosted agricultural productivity and food security through various initiatives.
According to him, these include the distribution of over 1.9 million bags of fertilizers to nearly 1 million farmers, promoting sustainable soil management with 12,000 liters of organic fertilizers, and strengthening regulatory frameworks.
The Minister added that notable collaborations and partnerships have also been made with Russia, Turkiye, India, and Canada to enhance fertilizer production as well as technology transfer.
He highlighted that the Ministry also trained 109 fertilizer inspectors and over 329 industry stakeholders on regulatory compliance with efforts being made to curb fake fertilizers from the markets through persecution of offenders.
Other achievements Kyari noted, include the construction of a National Reference Laboratory, upgrading of the National Fertilizer Management Platform to enhance fertilizer quality control, training of over 3,500 farmers on organic fertilizers and soil management thus, promoting sustainable agriculture practices.
He disclosed that the 2025 Agricultural Performance Survey carried out by the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) in collaboration with the Ministry, other relevant agencies, and NGOs highlighted steady growth in Nigeria’s agriculture, with rice, maize, sorghum, millet, cowpea, yam, and cassava all recording higher outputs compared to 2024. These production gains were driven by modest expansions in cultivated areas, improved farming practices, and resilience across major producing states, reinforcing food security while sustaining agro-industrial value chains.
The Minister disclosed that the findings from the survey remain an essential tool for assessing the sector’s performance, guiding policy decisions, and advancing Nigeria’s food security agenda, adding that efforts have also been made to create a conducive environment for agribusinesses to flourish nationwide
Kyari revealed that despite notable challenges, the efforts are yielding results, he therefore stressed the need for collective effort, sustained energy, partnership, and alignment of initiatives as well as resources. “Together, let us build on our achievements and tackle the challenges ahead”. He concluded
In his remarks, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris stated that the gathering reflects the governing philosophy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which is rooted in transparency, participation and accountability, noting that governance must not operate in isolation from the people.
“It must be open, responsive, and anchored on dialogue. Today’s engagement is therefore not just an event, it is a demonstration of this administration’s commitment to keeping Nigerians informed and involved”. He added
Idris noted that the Information Ministry remains committed to ensuring that Nigerians understand the direction and purpose of the present administration’s reforms through adequate enlightenment and feedback mechanisms
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, FMAFS, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi stated that the gathering underscores the importance of agriculture and food security as a shared national endeavor which recognizes the critical role played by farmers, processors, civil society, development partners, private actors, the media and the citizens in shaping a resilient, productive and inclusive agrifood system.
He added that the primary goal of the engagement was to foster strong and enduring partnership aimed to strengthen open and transparent communication channels where recommendations are carefully considered, concerns are heard and questions addressed to ensure that policies and programmes are informed by practical insights, field experiences and technical expertise.
