By Okeoghene Akubuike
Agricultural Agenda Nigeria Initiative (AANI), a Non-Governmental Organisation, has called on the government to treat agriculture as a national rescue strategy for economic recovery, peace and rural prosperity.
Mr Ephraim Audu, National President of AANI, made the call in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday in commemoration of the 2025 World Food Day.
Audu said to achieve this, the government must take bold, coordinated, and farmer-centred actions to reposition agriculture as a key driver of economic growth and national stability.
He noted that with no fewer than 70 per cent of rural households depending on farming for livelihood, agriculture remained the most powerful tool for lifting millions out of poverty.
However, he said in spite of its potential, Nigeria continued to suffer rising food inflation, declining productivity, insecurity in farming communities, and heavy reliance on food imports.
“Agriculture must no longer be treated as a development project or poverty alleviation tool; it must be recognised and treated as a national security and economic recovery strategy. ”
Audu said that Nigeria had signed major global and continental commitments, such as the African Union’s Maputo and Malabo Declarations to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), yet continued to fall short in implementation.
“AANI demands that Nigeria move from policy signatures to policy enforcement, from rhetoric to resource allocation, and from political speeches to farmer-centred action.”
He said to unlock agriculture’s potential, the government should focus on strategic policy directions which include designating food security as a national security priority.
Audu said the government would achieve this by establishing an integrated command mechanism linking relevant ministries and agencies.
“Safe farming zones must be designated through negotiated local peace accords with traditional institutions, security agencies and conflict actors.
“ This coordinated protection of rural food systems will rebuild confidence among farmers and ensure uninterrupted production.”
He added that the government should invest in climate-resilient irrigation and flood management infrastructure by expanding the irrigation footprint and promoting water harvesting.
Audu said that the government must provide inclusive financing and structured market access for smallholders by transitioning to structured input-credit and off-taker models.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Agriculture and NIRSAL should harmonise their lending frameworks to eliminate duplication and establish a traceable, performance-based lending and recovery system.”
He added that the government should ensure gender and youth inclusion by enforcing minimum quotas for women and youth participation, and providing access to land, mechanisation, and digital tools.
Audu said the government should establish a national coordination council that brings together all agricultural and food system actors under one strategic direction.
He said that if these recommendations were executed with discipline and also sustained, Nigeria could restore food sovereignty, stimulate inclusive economic growth and lift millions of farmers out of poverty.
Audu added that Nigeria would also reduce its import dependency and save foreign exchange; domestic food inflation would stabilise and new industries and jobs would be created.
“The government must prioritise agriculture, treat farmers as economic partners, and ensure policy discipline and sustained implementation.
“Nigeria has all it takes to feed itself and feed the world but only if leaders act with urgency and unity. The time for decisive transformation is now,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that World Food Day is celebrated worldwide on Oct. 16 to commemorate the date of the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation in 1945.
The theme of the 2025 World Food Day is “ Hand in Hand for Better Foods and Better Future.”(NAN)
Edited by Vivian Ihechu
