Experts rally to boost agricultural productivity
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Nigeria will play host to the Africa Agriculture Dialogue 2025 in Abuja on October 7 and 8, 2025, as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to boost the sector in-country and across the continent.
The high-level continental event, themed “Unlocking Finance for Agricultural Transformation in Africa,” will take place at the State House Banquet Hall and is expected to draw a wide range of participants, including senior government officials, agribusiness leaders, financial institutions, development partners, farmers, and innovators.
The dialogue precedes the annual World Food Prize ceremony in the United States and is designed to provide Africa with a unified platform to articulate its agricultural financing and investment priorities ahead of the global event.
Speaking during a recent virtual press briefing, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Livestock Development, Idris Ajimobi, and the Special Adviser to the Minister of Livestock Development, Richard-Mark Mbaram, explained that Nigeria is hosting the event to not only grow the nation’s agricultural sector but to drive its transformation in Africa.
The event seeks to develop a forward-looking continental investment narrative and mobilise resources for agricultural transformation across the continent.
Ajimobi noted that hosting the event provides an opportunity to discuss practical financing mechanisms to unlock Africa’s agricultural potential. “Lack of financing remains a major constraint to agricultural growth across Africa. Hosting the AAD 2025 gives stakeholders the opportunity to explore innovative financing models that can drive productivity and food security,” he said.
He stressed that the event also reflects the Federal Government’s efforts to reposition Nigeria’s agricultural sector through ongoing reforms in livestock production, which he described as a key pillar of food security, employment generation, and economic diversification.
Ajimobi highlighted the National Livestock Master Plan as one of the government’s flagship frameworks for reform. The five-year strategic plan, developed in partnership with the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project and international partners, is aimed at attracting both public and private investments into cattle, poultry, and small ruminant value chains.
“The N-LMP focuses on animal breeding, health services, improved market access, and investment incentives that can make the livestock industry more competitive and sustainable,” he said.
Ajimobi added that the AAD 2025 would spotlight Nigeria’s leadership role in agricultural transformation and serve as a model for inclusive growth. “Agriculture is not just an economic driver; it is a foundation for inclusive and sustainable development in Africa,” he stated.
On his part, Mbaram described the Africa Agriculture Dialogue as a strategic platform that shapes Africa’s agricultural narratives before the World Food Prize. He said the dialogue helps ensure that Africa’s perspectives and priorities are adequately reflected on the global stage.
According to him, “The dialogue captures and projects Africa’s agricultural stories, ensuring that the continent’s challenges, innovations, and ambitions are visible globally.”
Mbaram commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for moving beyond rhetoric to implement concrete programmes aimed at transforming Nigeria’s agricultural sector. “The declaration of a state of emergency on food security was a turning point. It demonstrated the government’s commitment to building a secure and sustainable food system, not just through words, but through decisive policy actions,” he said.Mbaram further noted that many of the reforms and activities in the sector are ongoing, even if not widely publicised. He urged journalists and media professionals to help bring these stories to light.
“A lot is being done quietly to reposition the sector. We encourage the media to probe and report these transformations to raise public awareness and accountability,” he said.
He emphasised that the government has a deliberate strategy to grow agriculture in a progressive and structured manner to achieve food and nutrition security, higher productivity, and increased incomes for farmers.
With expectations running high, the Africa Agriculture Dialogue 2025 is set to become a pivotal platform for shaping Africa’s agricultural financing landscape and reinforcing Nigeria’s leadership role in driving the continent’s food security and rural transformation agenda.
