By Benson Daniel
Agriculture stakeholders have called on the Federal Government to increase funding for the sector and ensure that budgetary allocations are directed towards programmes capable of raising food production, improving farmers’ incomes and strengthening Nigeria’s food security.
The call was made by ActionAid Nigeria, the Community of Agriculture Non-State Actors, the Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria and Young Farmers in Nigeria during an assessment of the Federal Government’s 2026 budget.
The organisations expressed concern over what they described as inadequate funding for agriculture, noting that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security received N1.45 trillion in the 2026 budget out of a total national expenditure of N58.47 trillion. The allocation represents about 2.48 per cent of the overall budget.
The stakeholders argued that the allocation was insufficient considering the importance of agriculture to Nigeria’s economy and the scale of the country’s food and nutrition challenges. They said stronger investment was needed to improve agricultural productivity, create jobs and support the government’s broader economic growth objectives.
They called for greater spending on extension services, irrigation, agricultural research and development, post harvest management, climate resilient agriculture and affordable credit for farmers.
The groups also urged the government to pay greater attention to women and young people involved in agriculture, arguing that targeted investment in these groups could expand participation in farming, improve productivity and create employment opportunities.
They further raised concerns about funding for programmes under the National Agrifood Systems Investment Plan and the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy. According to their analysis, allocations to programmes under the two frameworks declined by 15.26 per cent, from N10.497 trillion in 2025 to N8.896 trillion in the proposed 2026 budget.
The stakeholders warned that inadequate funding, combined with delays in releasing approved funds, could undermine agricultural programmes and worsen food and nutrition insecurity.
They said the impact of limited funding was already being felt, particularly where government interventions were unable to reach farmers at the required scale or within the appropriate farming seasons.
Beyond increasing allocations, the organisations called for better coordination and transparency in the implementation of agricultural projects. They criticised the inclusion of some projects that they considered unrelated to the core responsibilities of the agencies implementing them.
They argued that agricultural interventions should be aligned with national food security priorities and implemented by institutions with the appropriate technical capacity and mandate.
The stakeholders also proposed that the National Agricultural Development Fund should receive first line charge status to guarantee more predictable financing for agricultural development. They said such an arrangement would help reduce uncertainty around funding and enable long term planning for the sector.
They further recommended greater investment in labour saving technologies, access to markets and affordable agricultural finance, particularly for smallholder farmers who account for a significant share of food production.
The call comes as Nigeria continues to battle high food prices, production constraints, insecurity in farming communities, climate related challenges and inadequate infrastructure across the agricultural value chain.
Stakeholders maintained that increasing agricultural investment should not be viewed solely as expenditure but as a strategy for improving food supply, creating employment, generating income and strengthening the wider economy.
They urged the government to ensure that approved agricultural funds are released promptly and monitored effectively so that allocated resources translate into measurable improvements in farm productivity and food availability.
The groups stressed that Nigeria’s efforts to achieve sustainable food security would remain difficult without predictable financing, stronger institutions and investments targeted at the most critical gaps across the agricultural value chain.
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