The National Agricultural Farmers Network (NAFN) has urged President Bola Tinubu to attend the 2026 Annual National Agricultural Show and address farmers on his administration’s agricultural policies and interventions.
The show, organised in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) and the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), is scheduled for Nov. 16 to Nov. 20, with the official opening on Nov. 17.
NAFN National Coordinator, Aishatu Ibrahim, made the call in a statement made available to reporters on Friday in Abuja.
The show is themed “Repositioning Agriculture for National Prosperity: Linking Smallholder Farmers, Government and the Private Sector to Technology, Finance, Markets and Value Addition.”
Ibrahim said the President’s attendance would recognise farmers’ contributions to food security, job creation and economic growth.
She said the event would provide an opportunity for Tinubu to interact with farmers nationwide, hear their concerns and explain his administration’s agricultural policies and achievements.
“We are calling on President Tinubu to seize this historic opportunity and personally attend the 2026 National Agricultural Show.
“This is not simply an exhibition; it is the largest gathering of Nigerian farmers and agricultural stakeholders on a common platform,” she said.
Ibrahim said the President’s address would provide an opportunity to discuss government policies on food production, agricultural financing, access to inputs, mechanisation, irrigation, storage, processing, market access and technology adoption.
She also urged the Federal Government to recognise the show as Nigeria’s official National Agricultural Day, saying it would provide an annual platform to celebrate farmers, showcase innovations, attract investment and assess progress in the sector.
“Rather than creating another event, government should build on an existing platform that already brings together farmers and virtually every critical institution and stakeholder in Nigerian agriculture,” she said.
Ibrahim urged Tinubu to use the event to engage farmers directly on policy implementation, challenges and future plans.
She said farmers should have the opportunity to communicate their experiences and production needs directly to the President.
Ibrahim called on state governors, the National Assembly, traditional rulers, development partners, financial institutions, private investors, researchers and commodity associations to participate in the event.
She said the 2026 theme reflected the need to strengthen links among smallholder farmers, government and the private sector to improve access to finance, technology, markets, storage and processing facilities.
“The future of Nigerian agriculture must be built around an integrated value-chain approach that enables farmers to produce more, earn more and contribute more significantly to national economic growth,” she said.
Ibrahim said the show would feature agricultural innovations and technologies from the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), alongside exhibitions of farm produce by smallholder and large-scale farmers.
She said federal and state agriculture ministries, agricultural agencies, agro-allied companies, financial institutions and commodity groups would also participate.
According to her, the programme would include a seminar on the challenges and prospects of agriculture, featuring experts from academia, government, financial institutions and the farming sector.
She said the event was expected to connect farmers with technology, investment and other resources needed to boost production and improve livelihoods.
