Victoria Mgbanwa
Nigeria and The Gambia are exploring a strategic agricultural partnership to boost food production, particularly in rice cultivation, as both nations deepen bilateral ties through knowledge exchange, mechanization support, and shared best practices.
In a significant move to enhance regional food security, Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, CON, has welcomed the Gambia’s interest in adopting Nigeria’s rice production model as part of a broader agricultural collaboration between the two West African countries.
The endorsement came during a courtesy visit by a Gambian delegation led by Dr. Dembal Sabally, Gambia’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security, to Sen. Kyari’s office in Abuja.
Commending The Gambia’s proactive approach, Sen. Kyari noted that Nigeria’s agricultural transformation journey has been marked by strategic reforms and high-impact investments, including a N200 billion injection into agricultural interventions and the distribution of over ₦2.15 billion worth of fertilizers to farmers nationwide.
He recalled that upon assuming office in 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, declared a state of emergency on food security and prioritized agriculture as a tool for national development.
Highlighting the strides made in rice and wheat production, Kyari shared that Nigeria has phased out the importation of wheat seeds by developing and cultivating homegrown varieties, achieving nearly 500 metric tons in domestic output. He also cited the youth-oriented mechanisation drive aimed at making agriculture more attractive and less labor-intensive.
Addressing affordability and access to rice, the Minister stressed the effectiveness of Nigeria’s out-grower scheme in empowering smallholder farmers and shortening the investment cycle. “Rice is one of those areas you have mentioned but I believe that we have also achieved a lot of milestones in research, crops, like Wheat for instance is something that we are working on and has consistently shown an improvement and success from when we started in 2023″. He emphasized.
In response, Dr. Sabally lauded Nigeria’s achievements in agricultural reform, particularly its success in achieving significant rice sufficiency, an area where The Gambia still faces challenges.
The Gambian delegation, which had earlier toured rice mills and irrigation facilities in Kebbi State, expressed keen interest in replicating Nigeria’s out-grower scheme and mechanisation strategies back home. Dr. Sabally also called for the appointment of a Nigerian “Rice Ambassador” to help implement the model in The Gambia.
The visit concluded with the presentation of key policy documents, including Nigeria’s National Agricultural Transformation Agenda and NAPTIP 2022–2027 framework, along with commemorative items to the visiting delegation.
Also present at the event were Nigeria’s Minister of State for Agriculture, Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, CON; Permanent Secretary, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi; senior officials from both ministries; and representatives from development partner organizations.
The budding partnership signals a new era of South-South cooperation, with Nigeria positioning itself as a hub for agricultural innovation and leadership in West Africa.
