Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has clinched the chairmanship of the Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), drawing commendation from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Kyari was unanimously elected on Tuesday to head the 49th Governing Council of IFAD — the organisation’s highest decision-making body responsible for setting policy direction and approving programmes and budgets.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President described the minister’s emergence as a vote of confidence in his leadership and the reforms underway in Nigeria’s agriculture sector. Tinubu said the election reflects trust in Kyari’s capacity and initiatives across the country’s food security value chain, expressing confidence that he would strengthen IFAD’s relevance amid global food challenges.
The President also wished Kyari a successful and impactful tenure.
Some of IFAD’s interventions in Nigeria
IFAD, a specialised United Nations agency focused on reducing rural poverty and improving food security, has maintained extensive engagement in Nigeria. Between 2016 and 2023, the organisation committed about $604.6 million to agricultural interventions in the country, reaching more than 5.1 million beneficiaries across 28 states through co-financed programmes.
These initiatives include the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise initiative (LIFE-ND), and support for agro-industrial processing zones and youth agribusiness schemes aimed at strengthening farmer organisations, market access and rural enterprises.
In the Niger Delta, IFAD partnered with the Niger Delta Development Commission on a $90 million agribusiness scheme (with IFAD contributing $60 million), targeting more than 38,000 direct beneficiaries in Akwa Ibom, Imo and Rivers states.
Kyari’s brief professional background
Nigeria’s agriculture minister brings decades of public service experience to the international role. Born in 1963, Kyari currently heads the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry after his appointment in August 2023. He previously represented Borno North in the Senate from 2015 to 2022 and served briefly as acting national chairman of the All Progressives Congress in 2023.
His earlier career includes membership of the House of Representatives, commissioner roles in Borno State, and other administrative positions spanning water resources, education and works portfolios. Educated in Nigeria and the United States, he holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and an MBA from Webster University, and has been honoured with the national award of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
Kyari’s election is expected to deepen Nigeria’s engagement with multilateral agricultural development platforms and enhance the country’s voice in shaping global conversations on food systems, rural investment and climate-resilient agriculture.
