Food security boost as NAGS-AP harvests 2.5M tonnes

Nigeria’s National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) project has yielded over 2.5 million metric tonnes of staple crops across four farming seasons, a development officials say is bolstering national food security.

The initiative, which targets six key staples—wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, soybean, and cassava—recorded a total harvest valued at approximately ₦2.3 trillion (about $1.5 billion USD). The output represents a central pillar in the government’s strategy to bridge the nation’s food supply and demand gap.

According to Aliyu Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, the production milestone has directly contributed to increased food availability and helped stabilise prices. “Currently, food prices are declining, and efforts are being made to address the high cost of agricultural inputs in order to balance input and output costs,” Abdullahi stated during a stakeholders’ meeting in Orozo, Nasarawa State.

The four-season aggregate of 2,536,184 metric tonnes underscores the project’s role in supporting smallholder farmers and scaling up domestic production of essential commodities. By focusing on these six crops, the scheme addresses the core ingredients of the Nigerian diet, aiming to reduce dependency on imports and mitigate volatility in local markets.

The government’s push coincides with broader宏观经济 challenges, including currency fluctuations and input cost inflation that have historically constrained farming. The NAGS-AP project is designed to mitigate such risks through structured support, though the minister did not specify the exact mechanisms or budget allocated.

This production surge arrives amid persistent food security concerns in Africa’s most populous nation. While the reported harvests signal progress, experts note that sustained gains will require consistent policy support, improved rural infrastructure, and resilience against climate shocks. The decline in food prices mentioned by the minister, if maintained, could ease inflationary pressure on households.

The programme’s next phase will likely scrutinise cost-benefit analyses and post-harvest management to ensure the increased translates fully into nutritional security and farmer incomes. With food and nutrition security as a stated national priority, the NAGS-AP output figures serve as both a benchmark and a call for continued investment in agricultural value chains.