The Nigerian government is gearing up to launch the National Agribusiness Policy Mechanism (NAPM), a transformative initiative aimed at strengthening agricultural productivity, stabilising food prices, and driving economic growth.
The NAPM is part of a broader strategy to overhaul the nation’s food systems through data-driven policies and dynamic public-private partnerships, ensuring a more resilient agricultural landscape.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, speaking on Friday at a meeting of the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU) Steering Committee at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, described the new policy as a critical step forward.
“The Green Imperative Project (GIP) is an idea whose time has come,” Shettima said. “It has been in incubation for years, but now it is ready for fruition. We must make it work and the states will drive the process.”
The GIP, signed between Nigeria and Brazil on March 17, 2025, is a $1.1 billion programme aimed at modernising 774 mid-sized Nigerian farms with cutting-edge Brazilian agricultural technology. It is expected to create thousands of jobs and boost food production nationwide.
In another significant move, the Vice President announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved ₦15 billion for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to proactively prepare for potential flooding during the upcoming rainy season.
“This is one of the first proactive decisions by the government to anticipate the flooding season,” Shettima added.
Also speaking at the meeting, Marion Moon, Technical Assistant to the President on Agriculture and Executive Secretary of the PFSCU, outlined the ambitions behind NAPM. She explained that the policy seeks to tackle soaring food inflation, bridge Nigeria’s agricultural yield gaps—which currently lag 60% behind global averages—and bring a coherent, data-driven approach to national food strategies.
According to Moon, a pilot survey for the NAPM has already been completed across 13 states, and a full-scale launch is expected in June 2025. She noted that the NAPM would integrate real-time data analytics and a digital platform currently under development, offering a unified framework to optimise government spending, enhance rural development, and reform outdated farming systems.
The high-level meeting drew participation from governors, deputy governors, federal ministers, senior officials, private sector leaders in agriculture and manufacturing, and international development partners.
Notable attendees included Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi, Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, Borno State Deputy Governor Umar Kadafur, and Ebonyi State Deputy Governor Patricia Onyemaechi Obila. Also present were the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari; Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi; and the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance.
