The Federal Government, in collaboration with the Commodities Development Initiative (CDI) and key stakeholders, has officially validated the National Soybean Expansion Strategy—an ambitious plan aimed at boosting Nigeria’s soybean production by an additional 460,000 metric tonnes.
This development was announced during a national workshop held on Wednesday in Abuja to validate the strategy.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, represented by the Senior Technical Adviser, Mr. Ibrahim Alkali emphasized the ministry’s focus on developing agricultural value chains that are private sector-led, food-secure, and export-oriented.
Kyari reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing the policy and institutional frameworks required for successful implementation, commending the collaborative and action-driven approach behind the strategy’s design.
“We must treat soybean as a strategic commodity—it is crucial for nutrition, livestock feed, and foreign exchange earnings,” Kyari stated. “I am encouraged by the direction of this strategy. Let implementation be driven by the private sector, with strong government support.”
The minister also directed relevant departments within the ministry to integrate the strategy into national planning and align its objectives with broader agro-industrial policies.
The Managing Director of CDI, Mr. Roland Oroh described the strategy as a result of inclusive stakeholder engagement, focused on scaling up production through coordinated interventions.
He outlined the strategy’s core goals: increasing productivity, expanding cultivated land, improving processing capacity, and unlocking domestic and international markets.
“This is a practical roadmap developed with the input of farmers, processors, exporters, investors, and policymakers,” Oroh said. “Now begins the implementation phase, which requires commitment from all partners.”
The workshop brought together public and private sector stakeholders across the soybean value chain and culminated in the signing of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework under the Nigeria Soybean Partnership.
This framework will guide the coordinated execution of the strategy and foster investments, strengthen linkages with farmers, enhance agro-processing, and position Nigeria as a competitive, non-GMO soybean exporter.
The event was organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in collaboration with the National Soybean Association of Nigeria, the Oil Seed Processors Association of Nigeria, CDI, and the Dawanu Market Development Association.
