The federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), has trained officers of the ministry on the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) Approach and other agricultural initiatives to reposition the sector as a driver of food security, economic diversification, employment generation and national stability.
The capacity building took place during a four-day workshop held at Lake Green in Kado, Abuja, which began on Monday, 19 January 2026. Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, said the SHEP approach is designed to change the mindset of smallholder farmers from a “grow and sell” subsistence model to a “grow to sell” business approach.
According to him, the approach focuses on improving farmers’ income by strengthening technical skills and market access through farmer-led market surveys, gender partnership and business linkage development. He explained that the initiative is aimed at turning farming into a profitable and sustainable enterprise for smallholder farmers.
Dr Ogunbiyi noted that the training aligns strongly with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government, with a focus on achieving sustainable food security and reducing poverty through inclusive agricultural growth. He said the capacity building programme represents a deliberate investment in human capital aimed at strengthening the technical backbone of the ministry.
He added that the programme covers critical thematic areas that are central to modern agricultural governance and effective service delivery. Dr Ogunbiyi commended “the well thought out modules included in this programme like improving agricultural and pastoral practices, modern extension methodologies, climate smart approaches, strengthened monitoring and evaluation systems, policy formulation, contract farming and the SHEP approach.”
“Collectively, these areas are expected to promote all year round crop production, address food shortages, create employment opportunities, support climate adaptation, and ensure that development initiatives are guided by sound evidence and reliable data,” he added.
The Permanent Secretary urged participants to ensure that the knowledge gained from the training goes beyond the workshop, stressing that its true value lies in improved performance, better service delivery and tangible outcomes for Nigerian farmers and agribusinesses.
In his remarks, the SPRiNGS Coordinator, Dr Ukoha Ukiwo, represented by the Head of Research and Evidence, SPRING LEAD, Mr Ephraim Enuch, said the organisation would work with the ministry to strengthen extension services, monitoring and evaluation, data systems and policy formulation across the agricultural ecosystem nationwide in Nigeria today.
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