FG plans ₦1tn for agriculture in 2026 as minister cites funding gaps, fertiliser costs and need to stabilise Nigeria’s food system

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, has said the Federal Government is intensifying efforts to expand food production, improve sustainability, and stabilise Nigeria’s food system despite funding constraints and rising input costs.

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Abdullahi spoke at the 2026 budget defence session organised by the Joint National Assembly Committees on Agriculture, Production, Services, and Rural Development in Abuja.

He noted that Nigerian farmers had continued to demonstrate resilience, with government surveys indicating marginal increases in output, but stressed that structural challenges must be addressed to sustain progress.

“Despite prevailing financial constraints, Nigerian farmers have shown strong commitment to production,” the minister said.

Abdullahi disclosed that about 30 per cent of the 2025 capital allocations, estimated at roughly ₦18 billion, had yet to be released.

He added that only funds tied to constituency projects had seen partial disbursement, with about ₦19.8 billion released so far.

According to him, the limited release of capital funds slowed programme execution and restricted the ministry’s ability to scale support for farmers.

Looking ahead, Abdullahi said the agricultural sector is projected to receive about ₦1 trillion in the 2026 fiscal year.

Of this amount, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is expected to receive approximately ₦262 billion for capital expenditure and about ₦19.18 billion for recurrent costs, including personnel and overheads.

He identified the rising cost of farm inputs, especially fertiliser, as the most pressing concern for farmers, linking it to broader macroeconomic pressures beyond the ministry’s direct control.

“Gas pricing policies significantly affect manufacturers’ ability to produce affordable fertiliser for Nigerian farmers,” he said.

He also noted that taxation policies on agrochemicals and pesticides further increase production costs.

The minister urged lawmakers to back interventions that would improve access to inputs, support domestic fertiliser production, and ease cost pressures across the agricultural value chain.

In his remarks, Chairman of the House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, Rep. Bello Ka’oje, warned that reduced funding could undermine Nigeria’s food security ambitions and economic recovery.

“Agriculture remains central to national stability, serving as the primary driver of food security, employment generation, poverty reduction, and sustainable development,” Ka’oje said.

Also speaking, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Saliu Mustapha (APC–Kwara), stressed the need for timely release of funds, noting that poor implementation of capital projects in the 2025 budget had constrained productivity in the sector.

Mustapha pointed out that while total national expenditure is projected to rise to ₦58.47 trillion in 2026, allocation to the agriculture ministry declined from ₦2.22 trillion in 2025 to ₦1.45 trillion.