The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has called for intensified efforts by governments and stakeholders to scale up water-related infrastructure to boost productivity, resilience, and climate adaptation in Nigeria.
Mrs. Dede Ekoue, IFAD Country Director, made the call on Friday in Abuja during the Federal Government/IFAD Second Annual Review of the Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) 2024–2029.
Ekoue said COSOP, adopted in 2024 by the Federal Government, development partners, and other stakeholders, is designed to improve food and nutrition security while addressing underlying drivers of fragility.
She explained that the programme also aims to promote inclusive and resilient growth in Nigeria’s rural economy through market-driven transformation of the agrifood system.
“Water infrastructure remains critical to productivity, resilience, and climate adaptation, yet its scarcity is a major impediment to achieving COSOP’s 2024–2029 targets,” she said.
Ekoue highlighted key challenges facing Nigeria’s agrifood sector, including low productivity among smallholder farmers, weak integration into value chains, persistent rural poverty, high dependence on food imports, and multidimensional fragility linked to conflict, climate change, and environmental degradation.
She noted that the annual review provides an opportunity to assess collective progress toward COSOP’s targets and make strategic adjustments where necessary.
“COSOP was developed through extensive consultations led by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Finance and key development partners. This review examines the programme’s relevance, achievements over the past two years, and areas requiring further improvement,” Ekoue said.
She cited one key achievement as sustained support for rural producers’ organizations, which has strengthened collective action and market participation.
Ekoue added that the annual review would help identify strategies to enhance results in 2026.
“We commend the Federal Government for its focus on modernizing the agrifood sector through digitization, including progress toward establishing the National Digital Farmer Registry. These initiatives are critical for inclusive service delivery, transparency, and scale,” she said.
