Presidency moves to launch Nigeria’s first National Agro-Productivity System with real-time intelligence to strengthen food security

The Presidency has dispatched a high-level delegation to Morocco to formalise a strategic partnership that will establish Nigeria’s first National Agro-Productivity System, a digital intelligence platform designed to strengthen food security, improve agricultural planning and provide governments with real-time data on farming activities nationwide.

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The initiative marks a significant step in the Federal Government’s efforts to modernise agricultural planning through technology as it seeks to address persistent food security challenges and improve coordination across federal, state and local government institutions.

The delegation is led by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President in the Office of the Vice President, Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia, who is representing the Chairperson of the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU), Vice President Kashim Shettima.

The development was disclosed on Wednesday by the Technical Assistant to the President on Agriculture in the Office of the Vice President and Executive Secretary of the PFSCU, Marion Moon, in a statement announcing the launch of what she described as a landmark international technology partnership.

According to Moon, Hadejia is expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Friday, July 17, 2026, between the PFSCU, OCP Africa and Ground Truth Analytics to support the deployment of the Nigeria National Agro-Productivity System.

She said the shared geospatial intelligence platform will provide government institutions with real-time information on agricultural land availability, crop locations, crop performance, growth stages, projected yields and emerging food security threats across the country.

“The future of agriculture depends not only on improved inputs, but equally on stronger intelligence,” Moon said.

“Through this partnership, Nigeria is strengthening the institutional capabilities needed to plan better, respond faster, and make more informed decisions.

“It also reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to stronger coordination, recognising that sustainable development is accelerated when institutions work together around shared national priorities.”

The National Agro-Productivity System will operate under the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit as part of the National Agribusiness Policy Mechanism approved by the National Council on Agriculture and Food Security.

According to Moon, the platform is expected to strengthen production planning, food security monitoring, agribusiness investment, early warning systems and evidence-based policy formulation by providing timely agricultural intelligence.

The first phase of the project will involve a six-month pilot programme across three states, focusing on calibrating local datasets, validating information through ground verification and building national technical capacity before nationwide implementation.

She explained that the visit to Morocco would also include technical engagements and institutional exchanges aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s implementation capacity ahead of the pilot phase.

The partnership comes three years after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency on food security shortly after assuming office in July 2023, following mounting concerns over rising food prices, declining agricultural productivity and supply chain disruptions.

Nigeria’s food security challenges intensified after the removal of petrol subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market contributed to sharp increases in transportation, production and distribution costs, driving food inflation to record levels during 2024 and early 2025.

The crisis was further compounded by insecurity across major food-producing regions, recurrent flooding, climate-related disruptions and longstanding weaknesses in agricultural data systems that limited the government’s ability to accurately monitor production and respond quickly to emerging shortages.

To improve coordination, Vice President Shettima inaugurated the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit in July 2024 following recommendations submitted to President Tinubu for a dedicated national food coordination framework.

Since its establishment, the PFSCU has worked with state governments, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, development partners and agricultural stakeholders to align interventions under the National Agribusiness Policy Mechanism.

Earlier this year, the unit also deployed coordinators across 13 pilot states to strengthen agricultural intelligence gathering after significant losses recorded by thousands of rice farmers affected by production challenges.

Moon described the agreement with OCP Africa and Ground Truth Analytics as the PFSCU’s first major international technology partnership, signalling a shift towards data-driven agricultural governance.

OCP Africa, the African subsidiary of Morocco’s OCP Group, is one of the continent’s leading fertiliser producers and operates in more than 30 African countries, supporting agricultural productivity through fertiliser supply, soil health initiatives and farmer support programmes.

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Officials believe the new partnership will help close longstanding information gaps in Nigeria’s agricultural sector by providing policymakers with reliable, real-time intelligence needed to anticipate production trends, guide investment decisions and strengthen the country’s response to future food security challenges.