As President Bola Tinubu marks his second year in office, his administration's push for food security is gaining momentum—yet remains burdened by deep-rooted challenges threatening the agricultural sector's full potential.
At the heart of Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, agriculture has been positioned as a strategic pillar for economic diversification and food self-sufficiency. Under the stewardship of Minister Abubakar Kyari, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has rolled out wide-ranging initiatives aimed at increasing productivity, reducing rural poverty, and enhancing national food systems.
In less than two years, the ministry claims to have pumped over ₦309 billion into the economy through agricultural interventions—from farm mechanisation and fertiliser distribution to livestock health campaigns and climate-smart farming strategies. According to ministry records, these efforts have created over 60,000 rural jobs.
One of the most ambitious projects, the Dry Season Farming Initiative, saw 500,000 hectares of farmland cultivated—118,000 of which were used for wheat across 15 states—signalling a shift toward all-season farming.
Additionally, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria, the ministry distributed 2.15 million free bags of fertiliser to smallholder farmers, helping to cushion the impact of rising input costs.
In the livestock space, over 14 million vaccine doses were administered, and modern veterinary clinics were rolled out to safeguard animal health nationwide.
Minister Kyari has also prioritised climate-resilient agriculture, urging investment in drought- and heat-resistant seeds, while expanding partnerships with academic institutions and international research centres to ensure that scientific innovations reach the grassroots.
Infrastructure has also received attention—with over 200km of rural roads and the installation of solar-powered boreholes and streetlights in farming communities to improve access, irrigation, and overall rural living standards.
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But despite these visible efforts, the agricultural sector continues to wrestle with systemic obstacles. Rising electricity tariffs, particularly under the new Band A-C classifications, have driven up operational costs for agro-processors and mechanised farmers, putting pressure on the entire value chain.
Beyond energy concerns, experts say a gap remains between policy formulation and implementation.
The President of the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria, Abubakar Kassim, also acknowledged the difficult decisions Tinubu has had to make—particularly the removal of petrol subsidies, which he said hit farmers hard by raising transportation and production costs.
In summary, while President Tinubu's administration has made noteworthy progress in transforming agriculture into a growth engine, execution gaps, infrastructure weaknesses, and energy costs continue to blunt the impact of its food security mission.
