The Federal Government says a strategic and robust public-private partnership (PPP) remains central to driving increased production and innovation in agrifood systems across the Sahel region.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, during a high-level panel discussion at the FAO Hand-in-Hand Sahel Regional Initiative in Rome, Italy, according to a statement by Mr. Ezeaja Ikemefuna, Head of Information at the ministry, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Kyari said the focus of the discussion was on accelerating capacity, partnerships, and investments to transform agrifood systems across the Sahel. He noted that strengthening collaboration between the public and private sectors would create an enabling environment for better-quality investments and sustainable growth in the region’s food systems.
He emphasised the need for the Sahel region to build strong institutions, innovative financing mechanisms, and smart governance structures that would unlock the full potential of farmers, processors, and agribusinesses.
According to him, Nigeria is implementing several key reforms to enhance private sector participation, including upgrading the National Agrifood System Investment Plan (NASIP) into a National Public–Private Investment Portal.
He described NASIP as a transparent digital platform showcasing bankable opportunities in mechanisation, irrigation, storage, processing, logistics, and digital agrifood services.
Kyari added that the government had streamlined incentives to attract private investment through targeted tax and import duty reliefs, complemented by risk-sharing facilities in collaboration with development partners.
He also revealed that Nigeria was scaling up the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) — the largest such initiative in Africa — expanding from eight to twenty-seven states to provide integrated infrastructure and reduce operational costs for agro-processors.
On post-harvest losses, the minister said the Nigeria Post-harvest Systems Transformation Programme (NiPHaST) aims to reduce the ₦3.5 trillion lost annually to inefficiencies by improving storage, cold-chain, and warehousing systems.
“The pathway to up-scaling is to implement laudable agendas. Implementation is not abstract; it requires due diligence, smart governance, and unwavering political will,” Kyari said.
He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to aligning policy with action by turning investment promises into tangible projects that create jobs, feed families, and empower communities.
Kyari assured that under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria would continue to create an enabling environment for both local and international investors to thrive alongside farmers.
“We will work hand-in-hand with the FAO, IFAD, AfDB, World Bank Group, ECOWAS, and the private sector to turn investment promises into concrete projects that feed families, create jobs, and strengthen food sovereignty,” he added.
