Nigeria has partnered with the European Union, the Czech Republic, Austria and Latvia to launch a Twinning Project aimed at strengthening food security through climate-smart agriculture, in a move to address growing challenges affecting the country’s agricultural sector.
The programme, introduced under the EU–Nigeria Twinning Project in Abuja, is designed to bring together technical expertise from the European partners and Nigerian institutions to improve agricultural productivity, sustainability and resilience across the country.
Speaking at the launch, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the collaboration comes at a critical time when Nigeria’s agricultural system is under pressure from climate-related disruptions.
He noted that issues such as irregular rainfall patterns, droughts, floods, land degradation, and the spread of pests and diseases continue to threaten food production and farmers’ livelihoods nationwide.
According to Abdullahi, “Nigeria’s agricultural sector is faced with increasing challenges arising from climate change, variability in rainfall patterns, droughts, floods, land degradation, and emerging pests and diseases, which are affecting agricultural productivity and threatening the livelihoods of farmers.”
He explained that the partnership with the European Union and its member states will help Nigeria strengthen its agricultural systems to become more resilient, productive and sustainable.
The minister stressed that climate-smart agriculture is central to achieving this goal, describing it as a long-term approach that goes beyond climate response.
“Climate-smart agriculture is not only about responding to climate change but also about transforming agriculture to ensure that farmers can increase productivity while protecting the environment and adapting to changing climatic conditions,” he said.
Through the Twinning Project, Nigeria is expected to benefit from knowledge exchange, policy support and technical guidance from European institutions with years of experience in agricultural innovation and sustainability.
Abdullahi added that the initiative will support the review of Nigeria’s National Agricultural Resilience Framework and help develop practical guidelines for implementing climate-smart agriculture across different regions.
Also speaking, the Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, emphasised the importance of agriculture to Nigeria’s economy, while acknowledging the structural and environmental challenges facing the sector.
He said, “Addressing these issues requires not only investment but also strong institutions and effective, well-implemented policies.”
Mignot explained that the project will focus on reviewing existing agricultural policies and identifying gaps that hinder effective implementation, with the aim of strengthening institutional capacity and improving outcomes for farmers and agribusinesses.
“It will identify key gaps and provide practical recommendations to strengthen implementation,” he stated.
He further noted that the Twinning model has been successfully used within the European Union for decades as a tool for institutional development and policy reform.
In his remarks, the Director of Planning and Policy Coordination, Ibrahim Tanimu, described the project as a strategic collaboration that combines European technical expertise with Nigerian local knowledge to tackle pressing agricultural challenges.
He said the initiative will help translate policies into practical actions that farmers and stakeholders across the agricultural value chain can implement.
According to him, “The project responds to emerging challenges, particularly those posed by climate change, food security and the evolving transformation of global food systems.”
Tanimu added that the development of technical guidance under the project will ensure that climate-smart agriculture practices are not only defined at policy level but also effectively adopted on the ground.
