ABUJA, Nigeria, October 10, 2025 — The African Development Bank (AfDB), in partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), has launched a landmark report outlining how Nigeria can rebuild its agricultural heartland through innovation, coordination, and sustained investment.
Titled “Investing in Innovative Food Systems Solutions in Challenging Contexts,” the study presents a data-driven roadmap for revitalizing northern Nigeria’s food systems — an area heavily affected by fragility and conflict — by combining evidence-based policy reform, institutional partnerships, and private-sector participation.
A Call for Evidence-Based Investment
The report was launched during a high-level panel session on the sidelines of the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, drawing together ministers, northern governors, traditional leaders, and development partners.
Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, noted that farmers continue to depend on outdated storage systems due to the distance of national silos from production hubs.
“We are working to ensure that at least 80 percent of silos are sited in small farming communities,” he said.
From a traditional and investment perspective, Muhammadu Sanusi II, the Emir of Kano, stressed that rebuilding northern Nigeria’s agricultural economy requires long-term consistency and private-sector confidence.
“Fixing agricultural value chains and encouraging patient capital is the surest path to tackling poverty,” Sanusi said.
Investment and Value Chain Transformation
Abdul Kamara, AfDB’s Director General for Nigeria, who moderated the session, said the Bank’s agricultural portfolio in Nigeria already stands near $900 million, driven by initiatives such as the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) and the National Agriculture Growth Scheme (NAGS).
“By building resilient agricultural value chains, we can create sustainable jobs, empower women and youth, and lay the foundations for long-term stability,” Kamara emphasized.
The study identifies eight strategic crops — sorghum, millet, maize, wheat, cowpeas, soybeans, groundnuts, and tomatoes — as focal points for investment, mapping their production clusters, trade corridors, and cost structures.
According to Dr. Steven Were Omamo, Executive Director of IFPRI,
“The study offers clear, data-driven guidance on how to strengthen food systems in fragile contexts. By grounding policy and investment decisions in rigorous evidence, we can ensure lasting impact and smarter resilience-building.”
From Relief to Resilience
While humanitarian aid remains essential, the report urges a transition toward market-driven solutions, climate-smart agriculture, and public–private partnerships capable of moving communities beyond crisis response toward lasting recovery.
David Stevenson, WFP Nigeria Country Director, summarized the vision:
“Rebuilding northern Nigeria’s breadbasket requires more than emergency aid — it demands bold investments rooted in peace, resilience, and long-term recovery.”
A Framework for Future Action
The partners called on governments, investors, and development agencies to adopt the study as a guiding framework for channeling finance and innovation into food security and agricultural resilience in northern Nigeria.
The report underlines that transforming the region’s food systems is not just an agricultural goal — it’s an economic and peacebuilding imperative for Nigeria’s long-term stability.
