FG Unveils New Incentives to Boost Agriculture, Expand Irrigation, Create Rural Jobs
The Federal Government has announced a fresh set of incentives aimed at attracting investment into Nigeria’s agricultural sector, pledging bold reforms to expand irrigation, improve access to credit, and create millions of jobs in rural communities.
Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed the plans at the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) National and Subregional Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum in Abuja, describing hunger as “the great equaliser that reveals our vulnerabilities and the shared fragility of our existence.”
According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, the new incentives include single-window platforms for land registration, strengthened agricultural credit systems, large-scale mechanisation, and strategic irrigation projects.
Shettima stressed that Nigeria has the capacity to irrigate over three million hectares of farmland but currently utilises less than 10 per cent of this potential.
“Strategic investment in irrigation alone could triple yields, free us from seasonal dependency, and fortify our resilience against climate shocks,” he said.
The Vice President highlighted the 2021–2025 National Development Plan, which targets lifting 35 million Nigerians out of poverty, creating 21 million rural jobs, and securing food and nutrition sufficiency.
He assured stakeholders that regulatory reforms, public-private partnerships, and agri-tech innovations will open Nigeria’s agricultural sector for global business.
“Nigeria is open for business, and we are ready to partner with you. Let us work hand-in-hand to build a Nigeria and a subregion where no one goes to bed hungry, where rural communities are hubs of wealth creation, and where agriculture is the true foundation of our prosperity,” Shettima declared.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said Nigeria’s large domestic market, vast arable land, favourable climate, and fast-growing digital economy offer unique opportunities for investors across the agribusiness ecosystem.
Also speaking, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, described agriculture and irrigation as key to unlocking Nigeria’s untapped economic potential, adding that agribusiness remains central to the country’s diversification and transformation agenda.
The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security of The Gambia, Dr Demba Sabally, commended Nigeria’s leadership in agriculture, citing its rice and cassava value chain successes as models for the region.
He called for peer review among West African countries to address common challenges and harness shared opportunities.
In his remarks, the FAO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr Hussein Gadain, praised Nigeria’s clear agricultural development priorities, describing Vice President Shettima’s “visionary leadership and passion for food security” as critical in attracting investment and fostering innovation. He noted that the Hand-in-Hand Initiative is FAO’s flagship programme to accelerate agricultural transformation, eradicate poverty, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Head of the EU Delegation in Nigeria, Mr Gautier Mignot, reaffirmed the EU’s commitment as a long-term partner in Nigeria’s agricultural journey. He disclosed that the bloc has recently invested over €80 million to unlock opportunities in key value chains across seven states, further strengthening food security and agribusiness development.
With the new measures, the Federal Government hopes to reposition agriculture as the backbone of Nigeria’s prosperity, ensuring rural communities become centres of wealth creation while advancing national food security.
