The African Union (AU) and Nigeria are working together to improve farming and increase food production across Africa. They are doing this through a plan called the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP).
CAADP is a plan to help grow and improve farming in Africa. It was started in 2003 by African leaders to speed up development in the farming sector across the continent.
Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, a top official at Nigeria’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, spoke about this on Monday. He was at a workshop in Abuja to review Nigeria’s farming performance from 2022 to 2024 and to plan for 2025 to 2027.
He said the workshop’s main goal was to check how well Nigeria is doing in meeting the goals set by the African Union.
Ogunbiyi explained that CAADP is a powerful program created to improve farming across Africa.
He also said the African Union regularly checks the progress of CAADP to make sure countries are on track.
He explained that CAADP aims to improve food security, reduce poverty, and grow the economy. Countries are encouraged to aim for a 6% annual growth in agriculture and to spend at least 10% of their national budget on farming.
The goal is to increase food production, spend more public money on farming, and make sure the growth in farming includes everyone and protects the environment.
Ogunbiyi called on all those involved in farming to support CAADP. He said it helps farmers, improves food security, and supports economic growth.
He added, “Together, we can change agriculture in Africa and make it strong and successful.”
Ogunbiyi also said Nigeria has already made big investments in farming through several programs.
One example he gave was the creation of Special Agro-Processing Zones in some states like Kaduna, Cross River, and Oyo.
These programs aim to grow more food, make the food supply system better, create jobs, help people earn more, and reduce food losses after harvest.
They also focus on including everyone—especially women and young people—and making farming more sustainable to grow the economy and improve food security.
Earlier at the workshop, Mr. Ibrahim Tanimu, a director in the Ministry, said the goal of the meeting was to plan how to improve Nigeria’s food and farming system.
He said farming is the heart of the country’s economy and is very important for food security, better living, and sustainable development.
He encouraged everyone to work together to find practical solutions that will make farming better and help farmers and communities in Africa.
In a goodwill message, Ms. Blessing Akhile from ActionAid Nigeria said the workshop is important for making sure everyone is involved, responsible, and working together.
She promised that ActionAid will continue to support fair farming policies that meet the needs of small farmers, especially women and young people.
Akhile said the National Agrifood Systems Investment Plan is a key tool to improve Nigeria’s food system, following African Union goals ending in 2025 and new plans starting in 2026.
She said the joint review report helps check progress and guides what actions to take next to make sure the food system is fair and includes everyone.
She thanked the Ministry and its partners for leading the way and promised continued support to build a strong and lasting food system in Nigeria.
