• Oluremi Tinubu Urges Innovation, Support For Farmers
The Federal Government has said Nigeria’s agricultural sector recorded 4.39 per cent growth in the second quarter of 2026, with crop production expanding by 3.66 per cent, as it pledged to intensify efforts to improve food production, reduce post-harvest losses and strengthen agricultural value chains.
 
This was even as the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) called for greater investment in agricultural innovation, support for farmers and sustainable food production to ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all Nigerians.
 
The calls were made to commemorate World Food Day 2026, observed on October 16 with the theme, ‘Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow.’
 
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, who disclosed the growth figures in a statement marking the celebration, said the performance indicated that government reforms and investments in the sector were beginning to yield results.
 
The statement followed a walk led by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, involving development partners, farmers’ associations and other stakeholders from the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to Millennium Park in Abuja to commemorate the day.
 
Abdullahi assured Nigerians of the Federal Government’s commitment to food security through interventions aimed at increasing production, reducing post-harvest losses, strengthening agricultural value chains and improving farmers’ profitability.
 
According to him, the government’s strategy covers the entire agricultural value chain, including research, inputs, storage, processing, financing, marketing and consumption, in collaboration with state governments, farmers’ organisations, development partners, research institutions, financial institutions and the private sector.
 
He disclosed that Nigeria’s annual domestic wheat production had risen to approximately 420,000 metric tonnes from a previous baseline of 120,000 metric tonnes, representing a 3.5-fold increase.
 
On mechanisation, the minister said the government had commenced the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme with the commissioning of 2,000 tractors and implements to improve farming efficiency, reduce labour requirements and attract young people to agriculture.
 
He added that the government was addressing high food prices through expanded dry-season farming, investments in Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones, and the development of storage and cold-chain facilities.
 
According to him, the interventions were designed to reduce post-harvest losses from 40 per cent to below 20 per cent.
 

He said the measures were being complemented by the orderly release of food from the Strategic Food Reserve and the implementation of a Guaranteed Minimum Price to support farmers and improve food availability.
 
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building a productive, resilient and competitive agricultural sector capable of feeding the country and contributing substantially to economic growth.
 
However, the First Lady called for greater investment in agricultural innovation, support for farmers and the adoption of sustainable food production practices to strengthen Nigeria’s food security and ensure access to safe and nutritious meals for families.
 
In her message to mark the occasion, Tinubu said innovation must go hand in hand with the preservation of traditional agricultural knowledge to build resilient food systems capable of meeting the country’s present and future food needs.
 
She said achieving food security requires collective efforts to support farmers, reduce food waste and promote sustainable agricultural practices that protect the environment while improving food production and distribution.
 
She stressed the importance of embracing new ideas and technologies without neglecting indigenous knowledge and traditional practices that had sustained communities and contributed to food production over generations.
 
Tinubu also urged Nigerians to recognise the role farmers play in national development, noting that stronger food systems require sustained support for agricultural production and measures to ensure that nutritious food remains accessible to households.
 
“As we observe World Food Day 2026 with the theme, ‘Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow,’ we are reminded of the need to embrace innovation while preserving the traditional knowledge that strengthens our food systems,” she said.  “Let us support our farmers, reduce food waste, and promote sustainable practices that will ensure access to safe and nutritious food for every family. With sustained commitment, we can build a food-secure nation and create a healthier future for generations to come.”
 
Similarly, the FAO Country Representative, Jimmy Owani, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to ending hunger, improving nutrition and ensuring access to healthy diets for all.
 
Speaking during the walk and sensitisation exercise, Owani said the theme underscored the importance of innovations and investments in shaping the future of food security, nutrition and sustainable livelihoods.
 
He said the world produced enough food to feed everyone, yet millions of people continued to experience food insecurity.
 
Owani disclosed that an estimated 645 million people faced hunger in 2025, while 2.69 billion people were unable to afford a healthy diet.
 
He said the challenge went beyond producing more food to ensuring that it was accessible, affordable, nutritious and sustainably produced.

The FAO representative identified climate change, conflict, economic instability and environmental degradation as factors placing pressure on agrifood systems, disrupting production and markets and threatening livelihoods, particularly those of rural communities and small-scale producers.
 
He said innovation was central to achieving food security and sustainable development, adding that it extended beyond artificial intelligence, drones and sophisticated digital technologies to include climate-smart agriculture, improved farming practices, quality seeds and breeds, irrigation, mechanisation, sustainable natural resource management and indigenous knowledge.
 
The stakeholders called for sustained investment in agricultural innovation, stronger support for farmers and more sustainable food systems to improve food availability, nutrition and livelihoods.