Internal appraisal, sectoral initiatives refocusing will accelerate agric sector growth – Kyari
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen Abubakar Kyari during the Ministerial Sectoral Retreat
Omeiza Bilal
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, says the Federal Government is intensifying its push to reposition agriculture as a major driver of economic growth, job creation and investment.
Speaking at the Ministerial Sectoral Retreat with the theme ‘’Performance Improvement and Strategic Alignment’’ Tuesday in Abuja, the Minister added that its new policy focus on mechanization, value-chain development, agribusiness financing and market expansion, among others will further drive the initiative.
Kyari averred that only an internal appraisal and refocusing of sectoral initiatives would accelerate growth in the sector, stating that proactive and adaptive management approach, policy reform, and strategic planning will drive sustainable agricultural development and enhance food sovereignty
He said: ‘’Ministry is committed to leveraging technology, Innovation and climate -smart agriculture to boost productivity and resilience. Let us commit to the mission of feeding Nigeria, creating jobs, and driving economic growth through sustainable agriculture’’
‘’The Ministry is working with several international partners to secure funding and expertise to support our agricultural initiatives. Specifically, the Federal Government’s commitment is to ensure farmers’ safety, manage agricultural landscape, provide rural infrastructure, intensify research innovation, facilitate extension services, and undertake agribusiness ventures across the country’’.
‘’The policy direction is aimed at unlocking agriculture’s full business potential by transforming farming into a scalable, profitable enterprise. Our focus is to transit from subsistence to commercial farming. Agriculture must deliver productivity, income, jobs, and wealth creation.
‘’The Federal Government is implementing mechanization partnerships with international equipment manufacturers from Belarus, Brazil, and global firms such as John Deere and Origin, in a bid to close Nigeria’s long-standing tractorisation gap’’.
According to the Minister, the initiative would reduce production costs, increase yields, and attract private investment into farming and agro-processing.
He explained that the ministry is expanding Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) through the establishment of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones, Agro-Industrial Estates, Agro-Processing Centers and Cottage Processing Mills, as according to him, “these facilities are designed to boost value addition, reduce post-harvest losses and deepen agro-industrial activities nationwide.
“To improve market stability and reduce price volatility, the ministry is implementing a National Food Reserve Programme to mop up excess production during peak seasons, ensuring a steady supply and predictable pricing for both farmers and consumers’’.
Other market-oriented initiatives include the development of Commodity Market Hubs, Farmers’ Markets, and Rural and Cooperative Markets to expand consumer demand and improve farmers’ access to profitable outlets, he added.
He disclosed that the ministry has programmes targeting youth and women in agribusiness, describing them as key to unlocking Nigeria’s demographic dividend and stimulating rural economies.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said the ministry carrying out deliberately restructuring in order to support private sector participation, data-driven decision-making, and performance management.
Sen Abdullahi revealed that Agricultural Mechanization, Agricultural Data and Analytics, Agricultural ICT, Horticulture, Plant Health, and Development Partners Projects departments were created to sharpen the ministry’s focus and improve efficiency.
“The ministry is strengthening financing windows through the Bank of Agriculture and the National Agricultural Development Fund to support farmers, processors and agribusiness investors across the value chain,” he pointed out.
In her goodwill message, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Civil Service Matters, Mr. Alfred Abba said the retreat would deepen leadership cohesion, reinforce institutional discipline, and chart a clear, unified pathway for ministry and its agencies in line with reforms policies in the public services.
During his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi said “the Retreat provides us with a valuable opportunity to pause, reflect, and strategically reposition the ministry and its agencies for greater effectiveness in the discharge of our mandate.”
He revealed the key institutional milestone that forms an important focus of the retreat ‘’the validation of the performance management systems (PMS) Automation and the electronic content management (ECM) Platform, in preparation for the Go live of the ECM Platform on 18th December,2025.
“The Go live was planned to be after this retreat where all of us will have the opportunity to jointly do the validation exercise for the two platforms. This exercise is both strategic and transformational for the ministry,” the Permanent Secretary added.
