The Federal Government has announced plans to promote all-year-round farming as part of efforts to boost food production across the country.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, made this known in Abuja during a ministerial news conference held to mark the 2025 World Food Day, themed “Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future.”
According to Abdullahi, the 2025 Wet Season Agricultural Performance Survey confirmed steady growth in Nigeria’s agricultural output, particularly in rice, maize, sorghum, millet, cowpea, yam, and cassava production. He explained that all the crops recorded higher yields compared to 2024. The gains, he said, were the result of modest expansion in cultivated areas, improved farming practices, and the resilience of farmers across major producing states.
“These gains have reinforced food security and sustained agro-industrial value chains,” Abdullahi said.
He disclosed that the government had commenced a Dry Season Initiative to ensure all-year-round farming on 500,000 hectares of land. “The first phase focused on wheat production in 15 wheat-producing states, while the second phase covers rice, maize, and cassava,” he added.
The minister further revealed that the government was scaling up industrial transformation in the agriculture sector through the rollout of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ), supported by the African Development Bank and other development partners.
Abdullahi said the first phase of the five-year SAPZ programme covers Kaduna, Cross River, Kano, Kwara, Imo, Ogun, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory. He confirmed that implementation had already commenced in Kaduna and Cross River States in April 2025.
He stated that the SAPZ programme is designed to boost agricultural output by over 60 per cent, reduce post-harvest losses by 80 per cent, promote value addition, create jobs, and improve market access for farmers and agribusiness investors. “Through the SAPZ project, Nigeria aims to accelerate its shift towards an agro-industrial economy and support broader national diversification efforts,” Abdullahi said.
The minister also disclosed that the government had unveiled a plan to strengthen the National Strategic Food Reserve to ensure adequate stockpiling of essential commodities. “This measure will help prevent crises arising from acute food shortages and reduce dependence on imports,” he said.
Abdullahi explained that the strategic food reserve would help stabilise food prices, ensure a steady supply of essential commodities, and protect both consumers and farmers from extreme market fluctuations.
In his remarks, the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Maiha, said the creation of the Livestock Ministry was part of government’s plan to transform the sub-sector into a modern, economically viable industry. “We are here to synergise and partner with the Ministry of Agriculture because our efforts are complementary,” Maiha said.
Farm inputs such as sprayers, organic fertilisers, and water pumps were distributed to women farmers’ organisations, young farmers’ clubs in schools, and farmers’ cooperatives during the event.