Nigeria to cultivate 750,000 hectares in major agricultural project to curb food inflation

NIGERIA—The Federal Government has unveiled a plan to cultivate 750,000 hectares of land for maize, wheat, rice, and cassava as part of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-pocket project.

The initiative aims to address soaring food inflation and bolster Nigeria’s food security. The Minister of State for Agriculture, Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, announced the initiative at the 2024 Sahel Food Systems Change Makers Conference in Abuja.

Under the theme “Innovative Governance Models: A Pathway for Food and Nutrition Security in Nigeria,” the conference highlighted the government’s renewed focus on agricultural productivity to alleviate food shortages.

Abdullahi outlined how the Agro-pocket project will drive food availability, promote economic stability, and build resilience to external shocks.

“This initiative aims to increase the availability of locally produced foods, improving both household and national food security,” he said.

One of the project’s core strategies is year-round farming, leveraging both rainy and dry seasons to maximize production.

To support this, the government plans to expand irrigation systems to enable dry season farming. Abdullahi noted that Nigeria’s river basins, such as the Niger and Benue rivers, provide ample water resources that could transform agricultural production through large-scale irrigation.

“We are trying to look inward at our massive potential. Nigerians want food, and the potential is there for areas where we can do irrigation. When there is abundant food, it will drive down prices,” Abdullahi remarked.

Abdullahi also introduced the concept of three-season farming, where regions with access to improved seed varieties could achieve even greater productivity.

According to him, research institutes are actively developing climate-smart, high-yield crop varieties that are drought-tolerant, disease-resistant, and capable of growing in shorter durations.

Addressing Nigeria’s food security crisis

The government’s initiative comes at a critical time, as Nigeria faces a food security crisis marked by a staggering 40.5% food inflation rate.

Rising food prices have heavily impacted household budgets, with the cost of staple foods, particularly grains, more than doubling in the past year. Projections indicate that nearly 31 million Nigerians are at risk of severe food shortages, underscoring the urgent need for decisive action.

In response to this crisis, President Bola Tinubu recently announced a N50,000 (US$29.06) support program to aid 100,000 vulnerable households across the country, alongside a N155 billion (US$94,412) food distribution plan to mitigate the pressures on citizens.

At a recent National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, Tinubu also urged state governors to prioritize food security efforts within their regions, part of a broader agenda that includes construction, housing, and economic relief measures.

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