FG Reports 4.39% Agriculture Growth, Targets Lower Food Prices

Nigeria's agricultural sector grew 4.39% in the second quarter of 2026, the strongest momentum since 2021, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said on Friday, as the government pointed to reforms and investment aimed at lowering food prices.

Speaking at the 2026 World Food Day commemoration in Abuja, themed "Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow," Abdullahi said National Bureau of Statistics data showed crop production expanding 3.66% during the period.

The programmes cited

The minister said the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket has supported smallholder farmers to produce 2.5 million metric tonnes of staple foods across four farming seasons. He also said annual domestic wheat production had risen to about 420,000 metric tonnes, a 3.5-fold increase from a baseline of 120,000 tonnes.

On mechanisation, he cited the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, with 2,000 tractors and implements commissioned, and efforts including national soil mapping, promotion of biofortified crops and revitalised extension services linked to the National Farmers Registry harmonised with the national identity number.

Targeting prices at the source

Abdullahi said the government is addressing high food prices through aggressive dry-season farming, investment in Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones, and storage and cold-chain facilities. The aim is to cut post-harvest losses from about 40% to below 20%, supported by orderly releases from the Strategic Food Reserve and a Guaranteed Minimum Price mechanism.

He also said the Bank of Agriculture is being repositioned to provide affordable financing, with strengthened agricultural insurance and pest surveillance. On insecurity in major food-producing areas, he said additional army, civil defence and agro-ranger personnel have been deployed to protect farmlands.

FAO's message

The Food and Agriculture Organisation's representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Hussein Gadain, called for increased investment in innovation to end hunger. He said innovation should not be limited to artificial intelligence, drones and advanced digital technologies, but should include climate-smart agriculture, improved seeds and breeds, irrigation, mechanisation and sustainable natural resource management.

Gadain said climate shocks, insecurity, post-harvest losses and limited access to finance continue to constrain the sector, and noted that an estimated 645 million people faced hunger in 2025 while 2.69 billion could not afford a healthy diet.

What to watch

The headline growth figure is encouraging, but the test is whether it translates into cheaper food for households. The September inflation report showed food prices retreating month on month, a tentative sign that supply measures are biting. Sustaining that will depend on the harvest, the security situation in the north and the pace at which processing and storage investments come onstream.