The Federal Government on Tuesday announced new incentives to boost agricultural investment under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The initiative, according to the government, is part of ongoing reforms aimed at unlocking Nigeria’s vast food production potential through policies that will serve as a game-changer for agriculture and infrastructure investment.
Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed this in Abuja during the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) National and Subregional Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum. He noted that hunger poses a global security issue and urged Nigeria to mobilise its strengths to secure a future of food sufficiency and economic stability.
“Nothing unifies humanity as much as hunger. It is the great equaliser that reveals our vulnerabilities and the shared fragility of our existence. Food is not merely a matter of survival, it is a matter of global security,” Shettima said.
He explained that the administration is introducing single-window platforms for land registration, strengthening agricultural credit systems, expanding irrigation infrastructure, and scaling mechanisation to drive productivity.
“We must facilitate access to land and resources for serious investors. We must drive mechanisation to reduce drudgery and enhance productivity. We must strengthen the agricultural credit system to ensure capital flows to where it is needed most,” he added.
The Vice President observed that irrigation is a major game-changer, pointing out that Nigeria’s river basins and aquifers can irrigate more than three million hectares of farmland, but currently less than 10 percent is being utilised. “Strategic investment in irrigation alone could triple yields, free us from seasonal dependency, and fortify our resilience against climate shocks,” he said.
Shettima assured investors that Nigeria’s agricultural policies are being re-engineered to attract capital through regulatory reforms, public-private partnerships, and agri-tech innovation.
“Nigeria is open for business, and we are ready to partner with you. Let us work hand-in-hand to build a Nigeria and a subregion where no one goes to bed hungry, where rural communities are hubs of wealth creation, and where agriculture is the true foundation of our prosperity,” he stated.
The Vice President further stressed that the government’s national blueprint is targeted at creating 21 million full-time jobs in rural and agrarian communities, while lifting 35 million Nigerians out of poverty and securing food sufficiency.
“The vehicle to this future is the quality of policies we have chosen to prioritise. At the top of these interventions stands our National Development Plan (2021–2025), which has set forth ambitious but achievable targets,” he explained.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, made a presentation on Nigeria’s investment atmosphere and country profile, highlighting opportunities across the agribusiness value chain. He said Nigeria’s large domestic market, extensive arable land, favorable weather, and rapidly growing digital economy offer unique investment opportunities.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, also stated that Nigeria’s economic potential remains largely untapped, particularly in agriculture and irrigation. He stressed that agriculture and agribusiness are central to Nigeria’s medium and long-term development plans and the Renewed Hope Agenda.
On his part, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security of The Gambia, Dr Demba Sabally, commended Nigeria’s leadership in agriculture. He highlighted Nigeria’s achievements in rice and cassava production as examples for other West African countries to emulate. Sabally called for stronger peer review mechanisms across the region to tackle common agricultural challenges and maximise shared opportunities.
Representative of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr Hussein Gadain, described the Hand-in-Hand Initiative as FAO’s evidence-based, country-led programme designed to accelerate agricultural transformation and sustainable rural development.
“The programme is squarely aimed at eradicating poverty, ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition, and reducing inequalities. It is our vehicle for achieving the SDGs,” he said.
Gadain commended Nigeria’s agricultural priorities, describing them as catalysts for transformative growth in Africa’s agri-food systems.
According to him, the Vice President’s passion for agriculture, food security, and nutrition is unmatched. “He has been a driving force in attracting crucial investments and fostering innovation, and his continued engagement deserves our highest commendation,” he added.
Head of the EU Delegation in Nigeria, Mr Gautier Mignot, said the Hand-in-Hand Initiative reflects Nigeria’s strong commitment to strengthening food security and deepening agribusiness investment. He announced that the European Union had recently committed over 80 million euros to value chain development in seven Nigerian states.
Mignot declared that the EU remains Nigeria’s long-term partner and is ready to expand its collaboration in irrigation and agricultural transformation. “We stand ready to deepen collaboration with Nigeria as a partner to ensure irrigation becomes a pathway for economic growth and agricultural transformation,” he said.
The government maintains that these reforms and investments will transform rural communities into centers of wealth creation, enhance food and nutrition sufficiency, and deliver millions of full-time jobs across the country.