The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives has called for stronger support for smallholder farmers, saying Nigeria’s food security and agricultural growth depend on lifting millions of local farmers out of subsistence farming.
Speaking at the Annual General Assembly of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), he said projected agricultural growth would have little impact if it benefited only large-scale operators. He cited the Central Bank of Nigeria’s 2026 outlook, which forecasts agricultural GDP growth of 3.5 to 4.5 per cent.
He commended the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration for prioritising agriculture through policies such as the Agricultural Promotion Policy, the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative and the declaration of a national food security emergency.
The Deputy Speaker said Nigeria earns about $3 billion annually from raw agricultural exports like cocoa and cashew but could generate far more through local processing. He called for investment in agro-processing, value addition and export diversification.
He urged AFAN to work closely with government on key challenges, while calling on state governments to allocate at least five per cent of their budgets to agricultural infrastructure and on the private sector to invest in processing and logistics.
AFAN National President, Alhaji Dr. Farouk Rabiu-Mudi, said the Assembly aims to address persistent challenges such as limited access to finance, weak extension services and slow adoption of technology.
The three-day Assembly will bring together farmers, policymakers, investors and researchers to strengthen farmer participation in policy, boost agribusiness growth and promote innovation across the sector.