The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, CON, has inaugurated the Agricultural Sector Working Group (ASWG) to enhance food security, nutrition, and sustainable agricultural development across the continent.
Speaking while inaugurating the committee, at the ASWG Inaugural and Inception meeting held at Rock View Hotel, in Abuja recently, the Minister pointed out that to achieve this goal requires continuous engagement with critical stakeholders to foster innovative solutions, strengthened collaboration, and effective policy formulation.
In his words, “Through structured dialogue and shared expertise, we can ensure that our policies, programs, and projects are tailored to meet both current and future challenges in agriculture and food security.”
Beyond that, the minister emphasised that “Given Nigeria’s pivotal role in the global agricultural ecosystem, it is imperative that we establish a sustainable and structured platform that not only tracks our performance but also actively explores alternative strategies to bridge existing gaps.”
He further stated that the ASWG will serve as a critical mechanism, providing a forum for monitoring progress, enhancing accountability, and mobilizing collective action towards the achievement of the shared agricultural goals.
Kyari noted that he will be the team Lead as Chairperson, supported by the FMAFS Minister of State, Aliyu Abdullahi, along with his counterparts and colleagues, while the Permanent Secretary will serve as the Secretary.
The Minister, therefore, urged the group who will be meeting quarterly to apprise the performance of the sector, identify the gaps and as well proffer alternatives to drive the sustainable growth and development of the sector to uphold the principles of inclusiveness, transparency, prioritization, and partnership for collective Agrifood System Transformation in the country.
In his goodwill message, the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun recalled that the Malabo Agenda discussed in Kampala, January 2025 raised concern about the slow progress noting that the Continent was not on track to meet with the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development programme (CAADP) aimed at reducing poverty and increasing food security by 2025.
According to him, “This concern along with the margin threats of African Agrifood system led to the development of this post Malabo agenda that was discussed in Malabo early this year, we all know that one of the key objectives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in line with the commitment to ensure food production, food security and indeed making it available and affordable to Nigerians”.
The Minister stressed the need for Institutional Adaptation, pointing out that in Nigeria, we are focused on ensuring that the Agricultural sector value chain is fully developed. In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi reaffirmed the critical role of the group in fostering collaboration, policy alignment and coordinated action among government institutions, development partners and other key stakeholders, pointing out that the challenges before us ranging from food security concerns to climate change adaption and agricultural transformation which requires a unified approach and the ASWG would serve as a strategic mechanism to achieve it.
In attendance were the Hon. Minister of Livestock Development, representatives of Minister of Health and Social Welfare, as well as that of his counterpart in the Marine and Blue Economy, President All Farmers Association of Nigeria, President Manufacturing Association of Nigeria, IFAD, AGRA, NACCIMA, FAO, ActionAid, Directors of the Ministry, amongst others.
