7th Nov 2025
The Federal Government has unveiled a N250 billion financing window for smallholder farmers to boost food production. It said the fund was in addition to the N1.5 trillion recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA).
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari revealed this during the 47th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Food Security held in Kaduna on Thursday, 6th November 2025.
He said that the recent declines recorded in the prices of key food commodities across the country are the result of targeted market interventions, increased production, and sustainable investment in the agricultural ecosystem.
The ongoing reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration are driven by commitment to achieve food sovereignty, ensuring that Nigeria would produces what it consumes, while guaranteeing accessibility, availability and affordability for households, the minister said.
He highlighted other programmes being implemented by the current administration to boost food production, including the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme and the Dry Season Initiative for all-year-round farming on 500,000 hectares.
In his words, “As we continue along this path, we are already beginning to witness a decline in food prices across several commodities, a reflection of ongoing targeted market interventions. While we are not yet where we want to be, this positive trend confirms that we are moving in the right direction.”
The Minister added that “the first step toward food sovereignty is ensuring consistent, high-yield production through timely access to quality and affordable inputs. Guided by this, the Ministry, in collaboration with the African Development Bank and State Governments, has strengthened the National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) as Nigeria’s flagship programme for input delivery and productivity expansion”.
Also Read: FUOYE governing appoints substantive VC https://aasgmagazine.com/reps-…
He noted that,”Through this programme, wheat production has continued to expand across the country, growing from 15 participating states in the 2023/2024 dry season to broader coverage in the 2024/2025 season.
The increase in scale reflects our ongoing efforts to enhance production capacity and boost self-sufficiency in key staples.”
“Just last month, in October, a new milestone was achieved with the introduction of rainfed wheat cultivation in Kuru, Plateau State, an innovation by the Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI) that extends wheat farming beyond irrigated zones.
With rainfed varieties now proven viable across the highlands of Plateau, Taraba, and Cross River States, Nigeria is charting a new course toward all-year farming and self-sufficiency in wheat production, bringing us closer to meeting our national demand from within”, Kyari stated.
MEANWHILE, veterinarians have demanded a minimum salary of N200,000 from private hospitals and clinics nationwide. The animal doctors made the demand during the 61st yearly National Congress and AGM of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) in Jalingo, Taraba state.
The congress, in a communiqué signed by the NVMA President, stressed that to ensure professional equity, they have approved a minimum salary of N200,000 for veterinarians employed in private hospitals and clinics nationwide.
They emphasised the central role veterinarians play in national health and food systems, calling for reforms in animal health governance, strengthened food safety, and elevated professional standards across the country.
The three-day event, themed “Animal Health, Food Safety and Security : Ensuring a Healthy and Productive Nigeria,” brought together hundreds of delegates, including veterinary experts, researchers, policymakers, private sector players and students, to rethink the future of livestock management and public health.
