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By Lizzy Chirkpi
Key stakeholders across government, research institutions, development partners, and the private sector converged in Abuja on Thursday for a high-level policy dialogue aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s agri-food systems transformation through strengthened partnerships, evidence-based policymaking, and coordinated action.
The dialogue, themed “Expanding Partnerships for Transformative Impact: A Policy Dialogue to Accelerate Nigeria’s Agri-Food System Transformation,” was convened by the International Food Policy Research Institute, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, and other civil society partners under a collaborative policy innovation platform.
The engagement comes at a critical time when Nigeria is advancing key frameworks such as the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) 2022–2027 and the National Development Plan (2021–2025), alongside preparations for the domestication of the CAADP Kampala Declaration 2026–2035. These efforts aim to position agriculture as a driver of inclusive economic growth, job creation, climate resilience, and improved food security.
Participants at the dialogue acknowledged that while significant policy relevant research exists, challenges remain in translating evidence into actionable policies and implementation. The forum, therefore, served as an interactive platform to bridge this gap by fostering collaboration, mutual learning, and co-creation of solutions aligned with national priorities.
In his goodwill message, Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Musa, explains the importance of evidence in shaping effective agricultural policies and called for stronger collaboration with development partners and the private sector.
“I want to equally highlight that we have ongoing policies in agricultural technology. I want to commend the IFPRI and we call on all other partners because evidences are all we need to back our policies. The proximity of our roads and transportation means are far lower than what is obtainable abroad. The totality of our agricultural transformation is to make sure that impacts are achieved within a short time. We call on the private sector to assist us because the government can not do it alone, the people also need an enabling environment have to be provided for private sector investment. Youths and women in agriculture must be empowered.”
Also speaking, the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, highlighted the critical role of gender inclusion and women’s economic empowerment in transforming Nigeria’s food systems.
“I commend the conveners of this platform. It is an important gathering to discuss food security, market system and gender equality. We have markets but the transporting approach. We will continue to support partnerships through enpowerment in the full chain of the market evaluation. Gender inclusion must be intentional form the conception of the design ing stage. We must go beyond production packaging and branding should be included. Partnerships must be included, partnerships that are result oriented. Women economy must be taken seriously because women economic empowerment is underrated. Policies must be translated into real time platforms, that support value chain transformative action.”
Reinforcing her position, the Minister, Mrs. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, again commended the conveners of the Policy Hub for their initiative, stressing the importance of intentional and result-oriented partnerships across the agricultural value chain.
“I commend the conveners of this platform. It is an important gathering to discuss food security, market system and gender equality. We have markets but the transporting approach. We will continue to support partnerships through enpowerment in the full chain of the market evaluation. Gender inclusion must be intentional form the conception of the design ing stage. We must go beyond production packaging and branding should be included. Partnerships must be included, partnerships that are result oriented. Women economy must be taken seriously because women economic empowerment is underrated. Policies must be translated into real time platforms, that support value chain transformative action”, she echoed.
Providing insight into the vision behind the initiative, CGIAR Country Convener in Nigeria, Aline Mugisho, explained that the Policy Innovation Hub seeks to redefine how policies are developed and implemented by making them more inclusive and responsive to real-world needs.
“One of the core purposes of policy is to create an enabling environment for people to operate effectively. For a long time, policy development has been driven largely by technical experts, often in fragmented ways. What we are doing now is creating a more integrated, one-stop platform where policy is shaped not just by experts, but also by input from the grassroots. It is crucial that we understand the real needs of farmers and stakeholders at all levels, and then build systems that respond directly to those needs.
“This approach will help accelerate agricultural productivity and improve food systems in Nigeria. In terms of implementation, we are committed to deeper engagement with government at all levels federal, state, and local. We are also adopting a cluster-based approach, which allows us to address specific challenges more effectively within different communities.”
Mugisho further elaborated on the structure and ambition of the Policy Innovation Hub:
“The Policy Innovation Hub is an initiative designed to bring together stakeholders, government, researchers, and development partners into a single platform. It serves as a space where policies are not only discussed but also developed, tested, and refined based on real-world conditions. It is essentially a one-stop shop where governments can access support in designing practical, evidence-based policies. The goal is to ensure that policies are grounded in reality, responsive to local needs, and capable of delivering measurable results.”
She also emphasized the importance of private sector participation: “The private sector plays a critical role, particularly in areas such as investment, innovation, and scaling solutions. There are already examples where private sector actors have partnered with public institutions to improve processes and deliver results more efficiently. These collaborations help ensure that interventions are practical, sustainable, and impactful. However, for these efforts to succeed, they must be intentional. That is why the Policy Innovation Hub is designed to be demand-driven and people-centered ensuring that all stakeholders, including the private sector, are actively involved in shaping and implementing solutions.”
On his part, Oliver Kirui, Country Program Leader of IFPRI in Nigeria, expressed satisfaction with the breadth of participation and the outcomes of the dialogue, describing it as timely and impactful.
“The session brought together a broad mix of stakeholders. We had representation from more than seven government ministries, including the Ministries of Agriculture, Water Resources, Women Affairs and Social Development, as well as Youth Development. There were also presentations from several agencies across different departments, with directors from various ministries in attendance. Notably, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development delivered the keynote address. Beyond government, a number of international organisations working in Nigeria participated. The World Bank, GIZ, and several others shared insights into their ongoing efforts, particularly around food systems transformation. It was clear from these discussions that a significant amount of work is already underway across the country.
“What stood out, though, is the timing. This engagement comes at a critical moment one where coordination is no longer optional. It created space for stakeholders to align priorities, ask the right questions, and explore how best to support one another’s efforts.
“On the question of next steps, the focus is on continuity. This is not meant to be a once-a-year event; the goal is to sustain engagement and build momentum over time. Importantly, this was not just another meeting for presentations. Instead, the emphasis was on identifying government priorities that require both policy and stakeholder support. By the end of the session, key focus areas had been outlined, forming the basis for future projects and programmes.
“Going forward, there will be follow-up engagements with relevant stakeholders to drive implementation. The aim is simple but critical: move from evidence to policy, and from policy to real impact.
“Scaling these efforts will depend on clearly identifying and addressing policy gaps. That foundation has now been laid. The next phase is to translate those priorities into actionable opportunities that deliver measurable results.”
The dialogue ultimately reinforced a shared commitment among stakeholders to move beyond fragmented efforts toward a more coordinated, evidence-driven, and inclusive approach to agricultural transformation one that ensures policies are not only well designed but effectively implemented for measurable impact across Nigeria’s agri-food systems.