Victoria Mgbanwa
The Federal Government has inaugurated the Agricultural Sector Working Group (ASWG), a high-level strategic platform aimed at fostering collaboration, innovation, and accountability in the nation’s agrifood system.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, CON, who chaired the inaugural ASWG meeting at the Rock View Hotel in Abuja, emphasized the urgent need for structured stakeholder engagement to address Nigeria’s food and nutrition challenges.
“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,” Kyari stated. He underscored Nigeria’s critical role in the global agricultural ecosystem and stressed the importance of building sustainable platforms to drive performance and bridge developmental gaps.
The ASWG, which will meet quarterly, is expected to serve as a vital forum for monitoring sector performance, offering policy advice, and mobilizing collective action to achieve the African Union’s agrifood transformation agenda. The Minister highlighted that the group would support the implementation of the 2025 Kampala Declaration and the resolutions of African Heads of State on agricultural transformation.
The group will be led by Sen. Kyari, with the Minister of State, Sen. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, CON, as co-lead, and the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, serving as secretary. The team will work towards providing strategic advisory services and policy direction to sustain the sector’s growth and resilience.
Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, in his goodwill message, referenced the continent-wide concerns raised at the January 2025 Kampala summit regarding Africa’s lagging progress on the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP). He noted that the post-Malabo agenda was designed to refocus Africa’s agrifood priorities, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for food availability and affordability for Nigerians.
“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”. Edun affirmed.
Dr. Ogunbiyi echoed the importance of the ASWG, citing its potential to unify policy alignment and promote coordinated action across government, partners, and stakeholders. He pointed out that Nigeria’s agricultural challenges from food security to climate change require a united front.
Also featured at the event was a presentation by Mr. Christopher Mensah of the ECOWAS Commission, who provided an overview of CAADP progress and discussed strategic steps forward for West African nations.
Present at the inauguration were representatives from key ministries, including Livestock Development, Health, and Marine and Blue Economy, along with stakeholders from All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN), IFAD, AGRA, FAO, NACCIMA, and ActionAid.
With the ASWG now in place, Nigeria signals its commitment to transforming agriculture into a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable sector capable of meeting both national and continental food security targets.
