ABUJA — Nigeria and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) pledged to accelerate climate-resilient farming and expand agricultural financing, seeking to bolster the country’s food security against rapid population growth and shifting climate realities.
The commitments were announced at a high-level summit in Abuja marking two decades of partnership between the African development alliance and West Africa’s largest economy. The coalition brings together policymakers, private investors, and agricultural research institutions aiming to modernize crop production across the continent.
“The next chapter demands an uncompromising focus on rapid productivity delivery, climate-smart agriculture, farm mechanisation and robust financing structures from the boardroom to the farm gate,” said Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security.
Kyari emphasized that policy priorities must treat smallholder farmers, women, and youth as drivers of commercial agri-business rather than passive aid recipients. These target areas will define Nigeria’s positions at the upcoming Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.
Since establishing operations in 2006, AGRA has partnered with federal and state authorities to strengthen certified seed systems, expand commercial market linkages, and widen input access for smallholders.
Corporate players are also scaling up climate-smart investments in the sector. Edwin Aguadda, Agric Services Manager at Nestlé Nigeria, noted that the company’s AGRA-supported STREFAS project is helping 25,000 local farmers transition to regenerative agricultural practices.
Building sustainable food infrastructure requires systemic collaboration across public and private channels.
“AGRA was built as an alliance because no single entity can transform Africa’s food systems alone,” said Dr. Rufus Idris, AGRA Nigeria Country Director. “Over the past 20 years, our work in Nigeria has been guided by one absolute conviction: when African farmers prosper, the entire nation prospers.”
