FG’S has unveiled an ambitious agricultural reform package aimed at creating 21 million jobs nationwide through targeted investments in farming infrastructure, mechanisation, credit access, and land registration systems. The announcement was made on Tuesday during the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s National and Subregional Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum in Abuja.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who addressed delegates at the summit, declared that agriculture would be the cornerstone of President Bola Tinubu’s economic transformation agenda. He described hunger as “the great equaliser,” calling for sustained collaboration between the government, development partners, and private investors to build an inclusive, food-secure Nigeria.
“We are ready to partner with the world to transform agriculture into the backbone of Nigeria’s economic revival,” Shettima said. “Let us work hand-in-hand to ensure no Nigerian goes to bed hungry again.
Policy Pillars: Agricultural Reform Through Credit, Irrigation, and Land Reforms
The policy thrust includes the rollout of:
• Single-window land registration platforms
• Enhanced agricultural credit systems
• Large-scale mechanisation schemes
• Strategic irrigation infrastructure
Officials say these measures are designed not only to improve food security but to generate employment across Nigeria’s vast rural economy, which remains largely underdeveloped despite its potential.
According to the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, the reforms will unlock rural productivity and fast-track the federal government’s goal of lifting 35 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2025.
International Buy-In, Local Skepticism
The initiative was welcomed by the FAO and other international partners, including the European Union, which recently committed over €80 million to develop key agribusiness value chains in Nigeria.
FAO Representative Dr Hussein Gadain praised Nigeria’s leadership in agriculture and called the “Hand-in-Hand” initiative a vital vehicle to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The Vice President’s commitment to food security and rural development is commendable. Nigeria’s clear agricultural roadmap provides a model for transformative growth,” Gadain stated.
However, back home, many farmers and agricultural associations reacted with cautious optimism urging the government to move beyond pronouncements and focus on execution.
Farmers React: “We’ve Heard This Agricultural Reform Talk Before”
Women-led farming groups remain among the most underserved, despite forming a critical mass of Nigeria’s agricultural workforce. Chinasa Asonye, National Secretary of the Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), criticised the government’s agricultural interventions as largely ineffective.
“Most of what we’ve been promised single-digit loans, land access, inclusion in policymaking hasn’t materialised. The Malabo and CADI policies are still on paper. Less than 2% of the national budget goes to agriculture, when the commitment is 10%,” Asonye said in a phone interview.
She further raised transparency concerns about the disbursement of agricultural funds and called for greater accountability in the implementation of federal programmes.
Big Promises, But Who’s Watching Implementation?
The agricultural reforms arrive at a pivotal moment. Escalating food prices, climate-induced disruptions, insecurity, and the cut in fuel subsidies have intensified food insecurity and driven millions into poverty. However, experts suggest that although the government’s renewed emphasis on agriculture is timely and essential, its success relies on two main factors: consistency in policy and effective execution. Senator Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, stated that Nigeria’s economic diversification is heavily reliant on realizing agriculture’s full potential, particularly in irrigation.
“We need to perceive agriculture not merely as a developmental concern, but as a vital economic instrument. Irrigation and mechanization have the power to transform our future,” he remarked. Nonetheless, analysts caution that without specific timelines, clear disbursement processes, and community-level oversight, the new incentives risk following the path of previous initiatives: well-defined but poorly implemented.
Bottom Line: Potential Meets Caution
The administration’s agricultural roadmap paints an encouraging picture of what’s possible if Nigeria fully leverages its arable land, labour force, and private sector engagement. But the gap between policy and practice remains wide.
With the 2025 dry season looming, all eyes will be on how swiftly the government moves from rhetoric to results.
As one farmer at the event put it: “We don’t need more talk. We need tractors in the fields, credit in our hands, and food in our markets.”
