The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the recent decline in food prices across Nigeria through sustained interventions in the agricultural value chains.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this during the 47th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Food Security (NCAFS) held in Kaduna. The 2025 NCAFS, themed “Food Sovereignty and Food Security: An Era of Renewed Hope,” focused on strategies to ensure long-term food stability and availability in the country.
Kyari said that operations at the National Strategic Grain Reserve Silos located in Zamfara, Katsina, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Niger, Osun, Edo, and Kwara States were being improved for greater efficiency and capacity. He explained that these upgrades would help strengthen national food security and stabilize prices of essential commodities such as rice, maize, and wheat.
According to him, integrating the silos into the national food distribution framework would help establish a responsive system capable of providing timely interventions during shortages while supporting sustainable agricultural growth.
“Nigeria is charting a new course towards all-year-round farming and self-sufficiency in wheat production, bringing us closer to meeting our national demand,” Kyari said.
Speaking on the theme, the minister emphasized that food sovereignty involves control over what the nation grows, how it is cultivated, and how it is consumed. He added that food security ensures that every household has access to safe, affordable, and nutritious food.
“Together, they define the pathway toward an inclusive and resilient agricultural system that leaves no one behind,” he said.
Kyari noted that the nation was already witnessing a reduction in the prices of major food items due to targeted government market interventions. “While we are not yet where we want to be, this positive trend confirms that we are moving in the right direction,” he stated.
He further highlighted that consistent, high-yield production supported by access to quality and affordable inputs remains a key step toward achieving food sovereignty and economic growth.
Kyari explained that the ministry, in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and various state governments, had strengthened the National Agricultural Growth Scheme–Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP), Nigeria’s flagship programme for input delivery and productivity expansion.
“Through this programme, wheat production has continued to expand across the country from 15 participating states in the 2023/2024 dry season to broader coverage in the 2024/2025 farming season. The increase in scale reflects our ongoing efforts to enhance production capacity and boost self-sufficiency in key staples,” he added.
