The federal government has revealed that farmers in Nigeria accessed credit schemes totaling N3.4 trillion in 2025 to enhance food production.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, who did not specify the number of farmers involved, stated that this amount represents less than four per cent of agriculture’s contribution to the country’s GDP.
The Sun reported that Kyari made this disclosure during his address at the Nigeria–United Kingdom Investment Forum held recently in London.
He emphasized that access to finance remains a major constraint for farmers nationwide, limiting productivity in the agricultural sector.
In a statement released by the Head of the Department of Information, Ezeaja Ikemefuna, it was noted: “Despite the prevalence of credit schemes across the country, total credit accessible by farmers is still significantly limited, reaching 3.4 trillion as at April 2025.
“Whilst this value may look significant, it is less than 4% of the contribution of agriculture to the country’s GDP.”
The minister urged investors, financial institutions, and development partners to partner with Nigeria in realizing its vision of establishing a resilient food system, promoting climate-smart farming, expanding sustainable agricultural production, and harnessing the potential of Africa’s largest agricultural market.
Kyari underscored Nigeria’s vast agricultural potential, pointing to its diverse agro-ecological zones and strong competitive production capabilities.
He noted that agriculture employs nearly 70% of the country’s labour force, contributes over 24% to GDP, and serves as a key driver of inclusive growth, rural livelihoods, and employment opportunities for women and youth.
The minister highlighted that Nigeria possesses the natural conditions to sustain a wide range of agricultural value chains, such as rice, maize, cassava, cocoa, sesame, sorghum, and horticultural crops.
He added that commodities consumed globally can be produced competitively within Nigeria’s diverse agricultural landscape.
Kyari explained that the effects of climate change, a global challenge, have appeared in Nigeria through prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall patterns, flooding, and desertification, all of which threaten agricultural productivity and food security.
This situation, he said, highlights the pressing need to shift toward climate-resilient agriculture.
He pointed out that a substantial financing gap persists in achieving this transition, with current investment levels falling well short of what is needed to develop resilient food systems, introduce climate-smart technologies, and expand innovation across agricultural value chains.
“While public financing remains essential, unlocking the scale of investment required will depend on stronger participation from private capital and development finance partners,” he said.
Kyari revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a national state of emergency on food security in July 2023, soon after assuming office.
A year later, Vice President Kashim Shettima inaugurated the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU) to coordinate interventions across federal, state, and local government levels.
The minister mentioned that the federal government has launched several initiatives, including the distribution of solar-powered irrigation pumps to smallholder farmers to enable all-season farming and enhance water efficiency.
