The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has stated that the implementation of the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) will significantly accelerate Nigeria’s agricultural ecosystem. According to him, the policy is designed to improve access to modern agricultural inputs and make the sector more attractive, competitive, and rewarding—particularly for youth and women.
Senator Kyari made this known at the High-Level Policy Dialogue titled “Bridging the Gap: Access to Finance, Empowering Youth and Women for Agribusiness Success”, organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and held recently in Abuja.
The Minister emphasized that NATIP provides the strategic framework for transforming Nigeria’s agriculture into a technology-driven, youth-led sector. He noted that the policy prioritizes mechanization, digital agriculture, commercialization of research, and the development of sustainable agribusiness models.
> “With NATIP, we are building a system that supports youth innovation, unlocks productivity, and rewards ambition. We must now ensure it delivers at scale,” he said.
He further disclosed that the National Agribusiness Policy Mechanism (NAPM)—launched in May 2025—is now being implemented under the coordination of the Presidential Food Systems Coordination Unit (PFSCU) to align all agribusiness initiatives under a unified delivery structure.
To translate policy into measurable impact, Senator Kyari called for clear lending targets for youth- and women-led agribusinesses, and urged for reforms that focus on cash flow-based financing, risk guarantees, and entrepreneurial capacity-building.
> “It means financing cash flows—not just collateral. It means equipping entrepreneurs not only with credit, but with the capabilities to absorb and grow that capital,” he added.
The Minister revealed that the NATIP framework is already gaining traction across various states, currently reaching over 250,000 farmers, an early indication of its transformative potential when supported by political will and strong inter-agency coordination.
He also highlighted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, through the Renewed Hope Agenda, has positioned food security and job creation as interconnected priorities for economic diversification, national sovereignty, and social stability.
> “Food sovereignty means reclaiming control over our food systems—reducing reliance on imports and investing in Nigerian farmers, processors, and agribusinesses as the backbone of our national resilience,” the Minister said.
In line with this agenda, Senator Kyari announced that the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) is actively building partnerships to finance climate-smart agriculture, rural logistics, storage hubs, and aggregation centers to improve competitiveness and value addition.
In a historic move to strengthen agricultural finance, the Minister confirmed that President Tinubu has approved the recapitalization of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) with ₦1.5 trillion (approximately $1 billion USD)—the largest single boost to agriculture financing in Nigeria’s history.
The recapitalization, he explained, is aimed at repositioning the BOA as a development finance institution, with a special focus on supporting youth and women-led agribusinesses through accessible credit and institutional support.
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