By Victoria Tokolo
Agricultural stakeholders have called on the Federal Government to ensure the full and timely release of funds allocated to the sector, warning that delays in budget implementation could undermine food security, job creation and economic growth.
They also urged the government to reduce fertiliser prices, strengthen security in farming communities and invest in road and rail infrastructure to ease the movement of agricultural produce from northern production areas to markets in the South-West and South-East.
The stakeholders made the call at a three-day National Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on the 2027 AgriFood Systems Budget in Lagos.
The meeting was organised by ActionAid Nigeria, GIZ Global Programme Sustainable Agricultural Systems and Policies (AgSys) Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the ECOWAS Commission.
Participants included representatives of agricultural ministries, departments and agencies, research institutions, academia, the National Assembly, civil society organisations, development partners, farmers’ groups, the private sector and the media.
The meeting focused on strengthening citizens’ participation in the preparation of the 2027 AgriFood Systems Budget and aligning agricultural policies with the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP), National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) commitments and the Kampala Declaration 2026–2035.
Timely Budget Release Critical
Food Systems Specialist at ActionAid Nigeria, Azubike Nwokoye, said analysis of agricultural spending between 2023 and 2025 showed that capital releases to the sector remained inadequate.
He said capital expenditure across the states, the Federal Capital Territory and the Federal Government averaged about 50 per cent during the period, with some states recording substantially lower implementation rates.
Nwokoye warned that poor budget implementation could weaken agriculture’s contribution to economic growth, poverty reduction and employment generation.
He called for increased agricultural allocations as well as the full and timely release of approved funds.
“For us to grow the economy, we need to ensure that we release the capital component of the agriculture budgets across the states, FCT and the federal level 100 per cent every year, and the release has to be timely,” he said.
According to him, timing is particularly important in agriculture because farmers operate according to planting and harvesting seasons, meaning delays can prevent them from accessing essential inputs and services when they are most needed.
Agriculture Should Be Treated as Investment
Nwokoye said increased investment in agriculture could generate millions of jobs and improve government revenue.
He said ActionAid’s analysis indicated that an investment of about N15 billion in areas including extension services, labour-saving technology, irrigation, reduction of post-harvest losses, research and development, agroecology, support for women and young people, and access to credit could generate about 3.5 million direct jobs when combined with relevant federal and state investments.
He said the projection included approximately 1.4 million direct jobs from state-level investment and 2.1 million from the federal component.
“It means, as a country, if we want more, we can really invest, because agriculture should be treated as investment, not expenditure,” he said.
He added that effective agricultural investment could also generate significant internally generated revenue for states, with some potentially recording returns of up to 100 per cent and, in certain cases, as high as 600 per cent.
Fertiliser Prices Raise Concern
Stakeholders also expressed concern over the sharp increase in fertiliser prices, saying the cost of a bag that previously sold for about N5,000 had risen to between N60,000 and N70,000.
They warned that the high cost was placing additional pressure on smallholder and young farmers and could reduce agricultural production.
The National Coordinator of Young Farmers in Nigeria, Soihu Abdulbasit, called for targeted fertiliser subsidies and increased local production.
“If we can have a subsidy on fertiliser, it will allow young people to be able to afford fertiliser,” he said.
Abdulbasit also called for greater transparency in the distribution of subsidised farm inputs, alleging that some government-supported programmes do not always reach genuine farmers.
He said expanding local fertiliser production would reduce dependence on imports and improve availability.
Stakeholders Promote Sustainable Farming
The Chairperson of the Community of Non-State Actors in Agriculture, Rosemary Effiong, advocated greater use of organic fertilisers and agroecological farming practices.
She said sustainable farming could improve soil health while reducing farmers’ dependence on chemical inputs.
“As a community of practice, we believe and promote the use of organic farming, which is healthier for our soil, our bodies and the environment. We promote agroecology,” Effiong said.
She urged government and development partners to promote sustainable farming practices and provide farmers with affordable and appropriate inputs.
Insecurity Threatens Food Production
The stakeholders identified insecurity as another major threat to agricultural production, saying banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities were preventing farmers from accessing their farms in some parts of the country.
Effiong said more needed to be done to protect farmers.
“Security is a major concern across the country right now. We believe the government, from federal to state, is making some effort, but we are saying the effort is not good enough because most of our farmers now cannot go to the farm,” she said.
She noted that insecurity also contributes to rising food prices because farmers incur additional costs and risks, which are eventually reflected in the prices paid by consumers.
Rail, Roads Needed to Cut Transport Costs
The stakeholders also called for increased investment in transportation infrastructure, particularly rail freight services to move agricultural commodities from the North to major markets in the South-West and South-East.
Abdulbasit said transporting produce by road was becoming increasingly expensive, while delays on major highways contributed to spoilage and post-harvest losses.
“We want to encourage government to fast-track rail movement because to transport a lot of trucks from the North to the South costs millions of naira. How could young people be able to afford this?” he asked.
He said an efficient rail freight network would reduce transportation costs and facilitate the movement of large volumes of agricultural commodities.
He, however, stressed that rail infrastructure should complement, rather than replace, improved rural roads.
Call for Processing Centres
Abdulbasit also urged the government to establish processing centres close to farming communities to reduce post-harvest losses.
He said farmers producing perishable commodities such as tomatoes and potatoes needed access to nearby processing facilities where their produce could be preserved or converted into products with longer shelf lives before being transported to distant markets.
“We are encouraging the government to have processing centres very close to the local communities,” he said.
Stakeholders Commend Government, Demand More Action
In a statement, Nuhu Adamu Kilishi of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security said the consultative meeting provided an opportunity for stakeholders to deepen their understanding of national agricultural policies and contribute to the preparation of the 2027 AgriFood Systems Budget.
He said the meeting was also designed to strengthen citizens’ participation in food systems transformation, job creation, food and nutrition security, resilience and inclusive economic growth.
Participants commended the Federal Government for declaring a state of emergency on food security and for repositioning the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, saying the move reflected the importance attached to food security.
They also acknowledged the contributions of development partners, civil society organisations, farmers’ and producer organisations, smallholder farmers, women, young people, pastoralists, artisanal fishers and persons with disabilities to Nigeria’s food system.
However, they stressed that stronger action was needed, particularly in agricultural financing.
Timely Funding Key to Food Security
The stakeholders said the 2027 agricultural budget must go beyond making allocations on paper, insisting that approved funds should be released fully and at the appropriate time.
They warned that late releases could render agricultural interventions ineffective because farmers depend on specific planting and harvesting seasons.
They therefore called on the Federal Government, state governments and relevant institutions to prioritise timely budget implementation, reduce fertiliser costs, improve security in farming communities and invest in roads, processing facilities and rail transportation.
They said effective implementation of the 2027 AgriFood Systems Budget would boost agricultural production, create jobs, increase government revenue and ultimately help reduce food prices across the country.
