World Food Day: FG Pledges Food Security for All Nigerians
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring food security for all Nigerians.
This was contained in a statement issued today by the Head of Information Department, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Ikemefuna Ezeaja.
In his message to commemorate the 2026 World Food Day themed “Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow,” the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the theme underscores the reality that tomorrow’s food security will be determined by today’s innovations.
Abdullahi said the theme underscores the reality that tomorrow’s food security will be determined by today’s innovations.
He said the Ministry is transforming agriculture into a productive, resilient and investment-driven sector capable of feeding the population and driving economic growth.
According to him, the strategy covers the entire value chain – from research and inputs to storage, processing, financing and marketing – in collaboration with state governments, farmers’ groups, development partners and the private sector.
Citing the National Bureau of Statistics, the Minister said agriculture is back on a strong growth trajectory for the first time since 2021, with overall growth of 4.39% in Q2 2026 and crop production expanding by 3.66%.
He described the growth as evidence that reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are yielding results.
Abdullahi disclosed that Nigeria’s annual domestic wheat production has risen to about 420,000 metric tonnes, a 3.5-fold increase from the baseline of 120,000 metric tonnes, driven by the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP).
Through the scheme, he said, the Ministry has supported smallholder farmers to produce 2.5 million metric tonnes of staple foods in four farming seasons.
On mechanisation, the Minister noted that the government has commissioned the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanization Programme with 2,000 tractors and implements to make farming more efficient and attractive to the youth
Other interventions include soil mapping under the National Soil Health and Fertility Programme, promotion of bio-fortified crops, revitalisation of extension services and deployment of digital e-extension platforms linked to the National Farmers Registry harmonised with NIN.
Abdullahi highlighted that government is tackling high food prices through aggressive dry-season farming, investments in Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones, storage and cold-chain facilities to cut post-harvest losses from 40% to under 20%, alongside orderly release from the Strategic Food Reserve and a Guaranteed Minimum Price.
The Ministry, he disclosed, is also promoting climate-smart agriculture, expanding irrigation, repositioning the Bank of Agriculture for affordable financing, and strengthening agricultural insurance and pest surveillance.
The Minister added that the National Cooperative Identity Reform under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (RH-CRRP 2030), approved in March 2026, will transform the cooperative ecosystem into a credible and bankable economic bloc.
He acknowledged insecurity in major food-producing belts in the North, saying government is addressing it through deployment of agro-rangers and improved collaboration between security agencies and farming communities.
In his remarks during a sensitisation walk to mark the day, Permanent Secretary, Dr. Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi said World Food Day is a call to action to consider farmers, the resources required to produce food and millions who still struggle to afford a healthy meal.
On his part, the FAO Country Representative for Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr. Hussein Gadain, represented by Programme Officer Jimmy Owani, said innovation must reach farmers’ fields and households, not remain confined to laboratories.
Also speaking, the National President, Coalition of Farmers Associations for Food Security in Nigeria, Chief Emmanuel Anoh, commended the ongoing agricultural transformation.
