Private Sector Central To Nigeria’s Agro-Growth, Says Kyari

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has reaffirmed that private sector participation remains the engine that will drive transformative growth in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

He said increased investment and innovation from private players are essential to achieving the nation’s food security and economic diversification goals.

Kyari remarked during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), led by the FAO Chief for the Investment Centre in West and Central Africa, Alessandro Marini. The meeting took place at the Ministry’s Conference Room in Abuja.

The Minister explained that the federal government is committed to creating an enabling environment that supports private sector-led development. This, he said, includes establishing clear policies, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and promoting a stable business environment that attracts investment and minimizes risk.

He noted that in earlier engagements with development partners, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the government had emphasized its conviction that the private sector is central to agricultural expansion. According to him, partners also agreed that future investments should focus on boosting private sector involvement.

Kyari said the FAO delegation’s visit provided an opportunity for the organization to interface directly with directors, technical departments, and private sector actors, helping deepen their understanding of the wide range of opportunities across agricultural value chains.

He also introduced the Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), a young institution created to support agricultural financing and innovation.

He highlighted that the discussions covered several priority investment areas and explored potential partnerships that could deliver measurable impact. The government, he stressed, remains fully prepared to support the next steps and work closely with FAO and other partners to implement shared objectives.

The Minister commended FAO and EBRD for expanding their presence in Nigeria, noting that the opening of the FAO Investment Centre office in Lagos earlier this year demonstrates a strengthened commitment to supporting agricultural development on the ground.

Kyari added that visiting agricultural production sites across the country would provide the delegation with firsthand insight into the scale and diversity of Nigeria’s agricultural capacity, from staple crop production to livestock and other segments of the value chain.

He reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s directive that the Ministry must take responsibility for strengthening the country’s food systems and ensuring progress toward food sovereignty.

According to him, Nigeria’s rapidly growing population projected by the World Bank to reach 400 million by 2050 makes urgent agricultural investment indispensable.

In his response, FAO’s Alessandro Marini assured that the organization would work closely with the federal government to unlock agribusiness investment opportunities in line with Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.