President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ambitious plan to fast‑track Nigeria’s elusive quest for food security has elicited hope among stakeholders in the agricultural sector and, by extension, the economy, with considerations duly given to the plan’s pros and cons.
To many Nigerian households struggling to feed due to high food prices, the light at the end of the tunnel appeared to have become dimmer after the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu; however, a ray of hope appears to have re‑surfaced with the attention being accorded to the agricultural sector by the president.
While elated by the announced interventions for food security by the president, Nigerians remain cautiously optimistic because, from past experiences, there are many examples of gaps between policy announcements and implementations.
President Tinubu has undoubtedly renewed Nigerian’s hopes for the attainment of food security as evidenced in reactions to Nairametrics gathered across the country from stakeholders in the sector but fears still abound that his plans are not yet watertight enough to assuage doubts of failure.
The pros
Prompt attention – the president gave immediate attention to the issue of food security upon assumption of office; this may or may not be because the removal of subsidy caused a sharp rise in prices of food against a backdrop of declining purchasing power.
Prioritisation – with the declaration of a state of emergency on food insecurity and its inclusion in the National Security Council agenda, food security has become a front‑burner issue.
Strengthened synergy with stakeholders – the directive of the president that the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources work closely to provide farmlands and irrigation for farmers will accelerate the area of land under cultivation.
Onboarding of stakeholders – onboarding of relevant private sector stakeholders in a decision‑making body will help to close the gap in planning and further streamline policy delivery channels.
Renaming of ministry – to reflect his agenda for food security, President Tinubu has renamed the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Appointment of experts as ministers – the minister of agriculture and his counterpart in water resources, Mr Abubakar Kyari, and Prof Joseph Utsev, respectively, have past work experiences in the sector and are well‑armed with the capacities to deliver on their mandates.
The cons
No clear timelines – it is not clear from the statements made by the president and his aides what the timeline for the immediate plan is, and when to expect plans for the medium and long‑term strategies.
Renaming may jettison the linkage between food production and rural development, with an already established strong linkage between food production and the rural areas; shifting attention from rural development, as the renaming might suggest, could hamper food production and delivery to urban centres. According to IFAD, 90% of the food consumed in Nigeria is produced by small‑holder farmers in the rural areas, on un‑irrigated plots wholly dependent on rainfall.
Lacks comprehensive coverage of mechanisation – the brief detail of mechanisation under the president’s plan stopped at land clearing intervention. A broader summary should have integrated digitalisation and artificial intelligence, which now aid precision farming across the globe.
What stakeholders are saying
Arc Kabir Ibrahim – National President of All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria, Katsina:
“The President’s decision to rename the FMARD as the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) speaks volumes of the Administration’s desire to make Nigeria food secure within a short time.”
“Appointing relatively young people to drive the quest for the attainment of food security is also a step in the right direction.”
“The Ministries of Water Resources, Defence, Environment and Ecological Management, Aviation, Transportation, Power, Finance, Trade & Investment, as well as the CBN, Works and the new Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, must work lockstep with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to fast track the attainment of food security in Nigeria.”
“A periodic monitoring and evaluation of all policy implementation by Mr President is necessary to ensure success in the effort to attain food security.”
Mr Al‑Mustapha Ibrahim, Chairman Kwara Agriculture Network, Kwara State:
“The Renaming of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security will consolidate the success recorded in the Agriculture and Food industry over the decades. Meanwhile, there’s a strong nexus between Agriculture, Food Security and Rural Development.”
“Globally, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture is mandated to ensure food security, employment generation and wealth creation through improved commodity value chain activities and rural infrastructural development. This tends to justify the renaming of the Ministry after Food Security, which is supposedly the first component of the mandate of the Ministry.”
“Undoubtedly, Food security is crucial and pertinent to achieving the Global Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger, and we can only talk of Zero Hunger when specific attention is paid to Food security. However, Food Security cannot be attained if adequate attention is not geared towards rural infrastructure development, as this is the key to efficiency in Agriculture along its value chain.”
“While the Ministry should be committed to fighting food insecurity at all levels, the need to prioritize rural development in policy making and implementation cannot be overemphasized.”
Tunde Banjoko, Agricultural specialist, Author, and MD of B.O Farms Ltd, Lagos state:
“It is action that we need, not a name change. Although I think it is to reflect what the President did some months back, putting food insecurity under a state of emergency and making it the purview of the National Executive Council.”
“Sincerely, what I would love to see is how and the execution of the 11‑point agenda and strategy on food security as listed by the president.”
Dr. Austine Maduka, General Secretary, National Agricultural Commodities Project, FCT-Abuja
“The name change is a welcome development, as the rural development department has failed in their responsibility – Agriculture and Rural Development has not worked.”
“However, the minister should develop National Goals for Rural Development and Food Security.”
Yinka Adebayo, catfish farmer, Ikorodu, Lagos state:
“Of what use is the change in nomenclature if agricultural policies are not diligently and transparently implemented?”
Making it work for all
Nigeria’s agricultural value chain holds a lot of untapped potential for attaining food security and can be unlocked through local and foreign direct investments.
However, policymakers mandated with making the sector appealing and suitable for investors and other stakeholders need to work assiduously against actions capable of extinguishing the hope that President Tinubu has rekindled in the hearts of a global audience.
While the intentions of President Tinubu for food security have been made quite clear, it is pertinent that a well‑articulated timeline must be crafted and monitored to the letter by his policy managers and the National Executive Council.
Strong assurances must also be given to stakeholders in the sector that the development of rural infrastructure that supports food production remains an integral priority for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Apart from the specific agencies of government that have been mandated to support the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, two other ministries, namely the Ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy as well as the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, must be partnered with, to accelerate the adoption of advanced and innovative technologies across the agricultural value‑chain.
