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Daniel Adaji
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, has called on international finance institutions to scale up investments in agriculture to strengthen climate resilience, boost food production, and safeguard livelihoods.
Speaking at a High-Level Event themed: “Unlocking Sustainable Agrifood Systems for Climate, Nature, and Livelihoods” during the Standing Committee on Finance Forum of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Rome, Italy, Kyari urged stakeholders to align agricultural development with climate objectives.
In a statement on Sunday, he stressed that “all stakeholders must fulfil our strategic mandates. Let all nations commit to coherent national strategies that align climate objectives with agricultural development, backed by catalytic finance and policy reform. Let international financial institutions: IFAD, FAO, GEF, and others scale up concessional and blended finances, share risk, and support scalable, high-impact programmes that reach smallholder farmers and rural communities.”
The minister highlighted that proactive agricultural policies are essential to unlock sustainable food systems that restore ecosystems, secure livelihoods for farmers, and address the global climate challenge.
Kyari recalled Nigeria’s partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) under the Monitoring and Analyzing Food and Agricultural Policies (MAFAP) Programme. “This collaboration has enabled FAO to conduct extensive policy analyses, which have significantly informed Nigeria’s agricultural policymaking,” he said.
He explained that Nigeria is implementing strategies such as distributing improved seeds, promoting sustainable soil management, scaling up agroforestry, and increasing food production.
According to him, the National Agrifood Systems Investment Plan (NASIP) is designed to “enhance agricultural investments, boost agrifood production, create jobs, alleviate poverty, and make healthy diets more affordable,” while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting reforestation.
Kyari also pointed to Nigeria’s forthcoming Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0), which will prioritize climate-smart agriculture, land restoration, regenerative agriculture, and agroecology. He noted that empowering smallholder farmers—especially women and youth—remains central to the country’s adaptation agenda.
He added that Nigeria has advanced its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to integrate agriculture, water, health, and infrastructure priorities, with a focus on community-led and ecosystem-based solutions.
On climate finance, the minister said Nigeria is positioning itself under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement to leverage carbon credits from climate-smart agriculture, afforestation, and ecosystem restoration.
“By creating enabling policies and market mechanisms for carbon trading and results-based finance, Nigeria aims to attract additional investment while supporting smallholder farmers,” he said.
Kyari listed key projects driving resilience in the sector, including the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ), Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND), Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), and the National Agricultural Growth Scheme – Agro Pockets (NAGS-AP).
He acknowledged that more funding is needed to develop climate-resilient crops and scale sustainable agricultural practices, stressing that international collaboration is vital.
Appreciating the technical support from FAO and IFAD through the Global Environment Facility’s Food Systems Integrated Programme (FSIP), he said,
“This global programme is not only supporting us in Nigeria but also connecting countries to share knowledge, experiences, and innovations. Such collaboration is vital as we work collectively to transform food systems for sustainability, resilience, and inclusiveness.”