Daniel Adaji
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, says prices of essential food commodities have fallen by about 50 per cent across the country, attributing the development to ongoing reforms and government interventions aimed at boosting food production and strengthening the agricultural sector.
Kyari made the disclosure while delivering his address at the quaterly Citizens/Stakeholders Engagement Session in Abuja on Friday. According to him, the federal government’s renewed focus on agriculture is beginning to translate into tangible relief for households battling high food costs.
“Our efforts are starting to pay off, with a notable impact on food prices. In fact, prices of essential food commodities have dropped by 50% nationwide. This is in contrast to previous years when food prices skyrocketed, way beyond what most Nigerians could afford,” Kyari said.
The minister explained that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has placed food security at the centre of its economic agenda, pushing policies aimed at increasing local production, reducing reliance on imports and ensuring that food remains accessible and affordable to Nigerians.
“Since assuming office, this administration has made food security a top priority, acknowledging the critical role it plays in maintaining national stability and sovereignty,” he said.
He added that the government is working to sustain the downward trend in food prices by addressing high input costs and expanding support to farmers across the country.
“To achieve this, we are focusing on boosting local production and reducing our reliance on imports, with the ultimate goal of making affordable, nutritious food accessible to all Nigerians,” Kyari stated.
The minister highlighted several programmes introduced over the past two years to support farmers and expand food production nationwide. These include the distribution of more than 1.9 million bags of fertiliser to nearly one million farmers, training programmes for agricultural stakeholders and strengthened fertilizer quality control measures to curb the circulation of fake products.
He said the ministry has prioritised key agricultural value chains including rice, maize, wheat, millet, sorghum, yam, cocoa, cassava, soybeans, cotton, onion, tomato and oil palm, noting that the interventions are creating opportunities for millions of smallholder farmers.
“The provision of high-quality seeds, agrochemicals, safety kits, pest and disease management packs, coupled with capacity building initiatives undertaken in years 2024 and 2025 has significantly bolstered our agricultural value chains,” Kyari said.
According to him, these measures have helped farmers transition from subsistence farming to more profitable agribusiness operations, strengthening national food security while creating employment opportunities.
He disclosed that the Federal Government has supported farmers through credit schemes and mechanization programmes, including the launch of 2,000 tractors and other equipment under the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanization Programme.
Kyari also revealed that the government has provided a N250 billion facility to the Bank of Agriculture to enable smallholder farmers access loans at single-digit interest rates for food production and farm expansion.
Beyond production support, the minister said authorities are strengthening strategic food reserves to stabilize food supply during emergencies such as natural disasters or economic shocks.
In addition, he noted that several agricultural initiatives are being implemented nationwide to ensure farmers receive critical inputs at no cost.
“In line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s promise to ease economic hardship, we are supporting smallholder farmers in the all the states of the federation and FCT with vital farm implements and inputs. These are provided at no cost to farmers, and distributed through Agricultural Commodity Associations, Farmers Cooperative Groups, Internally Displaced Persons, Women, and Youths as well as Farmers with Special Needs,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the engagement reflects the Tinubu administration’s commitment to transparency and citizen participation in governance.
According to him, “Governance must not operate in isolation from the people. It must be open, responsive and accountable.”
Idris noted that government reforms introduced since 2023 were designed to stabilize the economy and lay the foundation for long-term growth, adding that agriculture remains a central pillar of the reform agenda.
“Food security that the President has said is also national security,” he stated, stressing that the administration is expanding dry-season farming, strengthening fertilizer distribution systems and promoting mechanization to improve food supply across the country.
He added that the Ministry of Information and National Orientation would continue to ensure Nigerians understand the purpose and direction of government reforms.
“Our role as Ministry of Information and National Orientation is to bring the gap between policy decisions and public awareness,” he said.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, said the forum was designed to strengthen collaboration between government, farmers, development partners and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
The engagement, he noted, provides a platform for reviewing progress made in the sector, sharing ideas and shaping policies that will drive Nigeria’s agricultural transformation and long-term food security.
The gathering brought together senior government officials, development partners, civil society organisations, farmer groups and private sector players to assess the performance of the agricultural sector and chart a path toward sustainable food production in Nigeria.
