FG Seeks Private Sector Partnership To Boost Agricultural Productivity, Tackle Food Insecurity
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The Federal Government is actively seeking collaboration with the private sector to address the pressing challenges facing Nigeria’s agricultural sector and to combat the growing issue of food insecurity.
This was revealed by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Mohammad Abubakar, during his presentation at the Food and Energy Security in Africa Conference, held in Lagos on Friday.
Speaking at the event organized by White & Case, in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Abubakar emphasized that private sector investment is critical to unlocking the country’s agricultural potential.
He highlighted the importance of advanced technologies, modern infrastructure, and value-added processing in driving transformational change within the sector.
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“The private sector holds the key to unlocking much of Nigeria’s agricultural potential,” Abubakar said. “We are committed to creating an enabling environment through policy reforms and de-risking mechanisms. By partnering with development institutions, we aim to offer credit guarantees, insurance schemes, and blended finance solutions to lower the barriers to entry for investors.”
The minister also pointed to emerging opportunities for investment in renewable energy solutions for agriculture, including solar-powered irrigation systems and cold storage facilities, which address both food and energy security challenges.
Abubakar further stressed the need for unity among all stakeholders, including government bodies, development partners, financial institutions, and the private sector, to achieve meaningful progress in improving food security.
“We must pool our resources, share our expertise, and work together to create a resilient and inclusive agricultural sector. No single entity can solve the food security challenge alone,” he added.
A Strategic Push for Investments in Africa’s Agricultural Future
Addressing the gap in agricultural output, Deji Adegoke, Partner and Head of Africa Practice at White & Case LLP, pointed out that while Africa possesses 60% of the world’s arable farmland, it contributes only 10% to global agricultural output. Adegoke stressed the urgent need to bridge this gap by increasing funding and collaboration to unlock the continent’s agricultural potential.
Similarly, Samaila Zubairu, President of the AfDB, emphasized Nigeria’s agricultural capacity, which includes 70.8 million hectares of agricultural land, with 34 million hectares classified as arable. He noted that despite employing over 25 million people and contributing significantly to the national GDP, the sector has not been adequately developed.
“Achieving food security in Nigeria is a profound mission,” Zubairu said.
In line with this vision, the Managing Director of the NSIA, Aminu Umar-Sadiq, shared updates on initiatives aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural base, including the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative, which seeks to enhance local fertilizer production through backward integration.
