FG Focuses on Reducing Production Costs to Tackle Food Inflation and Improve Accessibility
The Nigerian government is taking steps to address food inflation and accessibility by reducing production costs in the agricultural sector. Senator Sabi Abdullahi, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, emphasized that the high cost of production, which makes up about 60% of total farming expenses, significantly impacts food prices. Abdullahi highlighted that unless production costs are lowered, food will remain unaffordable for many Nigerians, urging stakeholders to propose solutions to reduce these costs and support President Bola Tinubu’s food security agenda.
The National Agricultural Lands Development Authority (NALDA), in collaboration with AG Partnerships, organized a workshop to discuss sustainable agricultural land development and food security. At the workshop, Abdullahi and other officials urged collaboration to optimize production systems. NALDA’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Cornelius Adebayo, revealed that the authority had developed a 10-year strategic plan (2025-2035) aimed at enhancing land development, including land clearing, preparation, and irrigation, to boost agricultural productivity. This plan is expected to attract private sector partnerships to address challenges in land development and food security.
Adebayo also emphasized the need to optimize land use to improve harvests per hectare, acknowledging that the goal of developing 10 million hectares of land might be ambitious without effective land use. The authority is targeting a more realistic approach of optimizing 5 million hectares within five years, which could significantly contribute to Nigeria’s food security and even the export market. NALDA remains open for partnerships, and Adebayo stressed the importance of collaboration in achieving sustainable food production.
In a related development, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, shared that his ministry, in partnership with NALDA, has started land clearing initiatives to support internally displaced persons (IDPs). This effort is part of NALDA’s broader 10-year plan to develop 150,000 hectares of farmland to assist IDPs and provide long-term solutions for food security. Yilwatda highlighted that the current IDP situation, with over three million displaced individuals, is unsustainable and requires innovative approaches to reduce the dependency on aid.
source: This day