The Federal Government has announced that the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) is making arrangements to commence the implementation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project and the National Agricultural Growth Scheme (NAGS) 2.0 programme.
The Minister of State for Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, disclosed this on Thursday at the NAGS-AP project stakeholders workshop on the Modified Implementation Framework held in Abuja. He revealed that the programme has recorded a total of 2,536,184 metric tons of agricultural produce across four seasons of implementation.
The workshop was organised by NAGS-AP in collaboration with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and brought together key stakeholders to review progress and plan future actions.
Abdullahi outlined the phases of the programme to include the 2023–2024 dry season wheat farming, 2023–2024 dry season rice production, the 2024 wet season cultivation of rice, maize, soybeans, millet and cassava, as well as the 2024–2025 dry season wheat farming.
According to him, the total value of the produce generated from these activities was estimated at N2,312,746,400,000. He explained that this milestone has contributed significantly to improved food availability and the stabilisation of food prices nationwide.
“Currently, food prices are declining, and efforts are being made to address the high cost of agricultural inputs to balance input and output costs,” Abdullahi said.
He noted that the stakeholders’ workshop was convened to review past project activities, examine strengths and weaknesses, and identify areas that require modification to improve efficiency and overall impact.
“The stakeholders’ gathering is to objectively assess what has been done and to chart a better path forward,” he added.
The minister recalled that President Bola Tinubu, under the Agricultural Renewed Hope Agenda, declared a state of Emergency on Food and Nutrition Security as a way of prioritising agriculture and ensuring that food is sufficient, accessible and affordable for all citizens.
He said the NAGS-AP project focuses on six staple crops, namely wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, soybean and cassava, under the Food Security Emergency Support programme. According to him, the initiative is designed to bridge food supply gaps and guarantee national food and nutrition security.
Abdullahi assured stakeholders that the current administration remains committed to supporting the agricultural sector, especially externally funded projects with clearly defined objectives and measurable targets.
He explained that the two-day workshop would introduce new concepts, ideas and innovations for stakeholders to consider and possibly adopt.
“The discussions will follow careful alignment between the NAGS-AP Project and the Bank of Agriculture, in line with directives from President Tinubu.
“This alignment is aimed at developing a new implementation framework and operational strategies that will stand the test of time and include all relevant stakeholders to deliver verifiable results,” he said.
Abdullahi further disclosed that NAGS-AP is making concrete arrangements to commence the implementation of the JICA project alongside the NAGS 2.0 programme.
He said the JICA loan project will focus on rice, maize, soybean and cassava production, while NAGS 2.0 will concentrate on wheat and rice starting from the 2026 wet season.
“Under the 2025–2026 dry season, the project will focus on rice, maize and cassava across all 36 states and the FCT,” he said.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of FMAFS, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, said the meeting was aimed at examining past project implementation, identifying bottlenecks and developing new strategies to address existing challenges. He was represented by the Director of Planning and Policy Coordination, Ibrahim Tanimu.
Also speaking, the National Project Coordinator of NAGS-AP, Mr Ishaku Buba, said the project provides farmers with critical farm inputs, institutional support and agricultural extension services to boost productivity and sustainability.
“Fertiliser and seed quality control officers will also be deployed to ensure the supply of guaranteed quality inputs to farmers for maximum benefits,” he said.
