ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing citizen engagement in the development of the 2026 agriculture budget as part of efforts to transform Nigeria’s food systems and drive economic growth.
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AAN’s Country Director, Andrew Mamedu, made the announcement during the National Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on the 2026 Agriculture Budget held in Lagos.
The meeting was jointly organised by ActionAid Nigeria in partnership with the German International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS). Additional partners included the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the ECOWAS Commission.
Mamedu highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with food inflation and insecurity, citing multiple contributing factors, including a weakening naira, massive post-harvest losses, low domestic agricultural production, and heavy reliance on costly food imports.
According to the ActionAid country director, Nigeria’s food inflation rate reached 21.14 percent in May 2025, representing a 19.27 percent decrease from the same period in 2024. He attributed this decline primarily to the temporary 150-day duty- and tariff-free window for importing staple foods such as rice, wheat, and corn.
While acknowledging the short-term relief provided by the import duty waiver, Mamedu stated that such interventions are not sustainable long-term solutions.
“A lasting solution requires deliberate and increased public investments in local food systems, particularly those that support smallholder farmers, including women and youth,” Mamedu stated.
He stressed that these investments are essential for enhancing domestic food production, reducing import dependency, and driving inclusive economic growth.
The meeting also aimed to deepen stakeholder understanding of the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) and the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), both aligned with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) goals.
Mamedu noted that the outcomes would improve Nigeria’s biennial reporting to African Union Heads of State and Government under the 2025 Kampala Declaration.
Past consultative meetings have successfully identified priority areas for sustainable agricultural development, which have been reflected in both federal and state agriculture budgets. These priorities include increased support for women and youth in agriculture; irrigation infrastructure development; Climate-Resilient Sustainable Agriculture (CRSA) and agroecology; and agricultural research and development.
Despite progress in budget allocation, Mamedu noted that more work is needed to ensure budget commitments translate into tangible, real-world impacts.
“We believe Nigeria’s economy will grow if the right investments are made to support smallholder farmers, especially women and youth, in areas such as extension services, access to credit, and labour-saving technologies,” he said.
He identified irrigation development and post-harvest loss reduction as critical areas for driving agricultural growth, noting that such improvements could be achieved “without bloated administrative costs or unclear and wasteful allocations within the sector.”
Mamedu described the consultative meeting as part of AAN’s broader efforts to expand public participation in agricultural policy and budget processes to achieve mutual accountability and inclusive food system transformation in Nigeria.
The organisation emphasised the importance of not only increasing funding but also the timely and full release of allocated funds to the agriculture and related sectors to facilitate meaningful transformation.
This initiative reflects growing recognition of the need for transparent, participatory approaches to agricultural policy-making as Nigeria seeks to address food security challenges and build a more resilient agricultural sector.
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