Nigeria unveils policies to Transform Food Systems
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari has announced that the government is driving a proactive policies in the agricultural sector will unlock sustainable agrifood systems, safeguard the climate, restore ecosystems, boost production, and secure dignified livelihoods for Nigerian farmers.
The minister stayed this at the just concluded recent High-Level Event on “Unlocking Sustainable Agrifood Systems for Climate, Nature, and Livelihoods” during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Standing Committee on Finance Forum in Rome.
Kyari highlighted Nigeria’s partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) through the Monitoring and Analyzing Food and Agricultural Policies (MAFAP) Programme, established in 2022
The collaboration, he said, has informed Nigeria’s agricultural policymaking through extensive policy analyses, driving the country’s push for a climate-resilient, nature-positive food system. Current initiatives include distributing improved seeds, promoting sustainable soil management, increasing food production, and expanding agroforestry.
The Minister emphasized the National Agrifood Systems Investment Plan (NASIP), designed to enhance agricultural investments, boost food production, create jobs, reduce poverty, and make healthy diets more affordable while lowering greenhouse gas emissions and promoting reforestation.
He said Nigeria’s forthcoming Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0) will align climate commitments with inclusive agricultural transformation, focusing on climate-smart agriculture, land restoration, regenerative farming, and empowering smallholder farmers, especially women and youth.
The minister also outlined Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP), which integrates climate adaptation into agriculture, water, health, and infrastructure, prioritizing community-led and ecosystem-based solutions. Under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, Nigeria is creating policies and market mechanisms for carbon trading and results-based finance, leveraging carbon credits from climate-smart agriculture and ecosystem restoration to attract investment and support farmers.
Key development projects bolstering the sector’s resilience include the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ), Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND), Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), and National Agricultural Growth Scheme – Agro Pockets (NAGS-AP).
Kyari stressed the need for increased funding to develop climate-resilient crops and sustainable practices to combat climate change and ensure food security. He called on global stakeholders, including international financial institutions like FAO, IFAD, and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), to scale up concessional financing and support high-impact programs for smalland rural communities.
The minister expressed gratitude for the technical support from FAO and IFAD through GEF’s Food Systems Integrated Programme (FSIP), which fosters knowledge-sharing and innovation across countries.
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