Stakeholders harp on state-led policies to build resilient food systems
Stakeholders have emphasised the need for stronger state-level policies, youth inclusion, and innovation-driven collaboration to build a resilient and impact-driven food system across Nigeria.
This call was made during the Sahel Food System Changemakers Conference themed “Designing for Legacy: Building Resilient and Impact-Driven Food Systems”, in Abuja.
In her remarks, Winnie Lai Solarin, an Agricultural Policy Expert, highlighted the importance of decentralising agricultural policymaking and empowering states to implement tailored interventions.
“Agriculture is on the concurrent list, no matter what we do at the center, we cannot reach everyone. We need to challenge states to come up with their own programs. Let’s move from looking at policy from a national perspective to bringing it down to states,” she said.
Solarin urged the government to increase collaboration with development projects that can reach more people than federal interventions alone.
“Government interventions are often too small. Only projects have the capacity to reach more people. We must begin to allocate part of our budgets to such initiatives, monitor how funds are used, and ensure impact,” she added.
Kingsley Uzoma, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness and Productivity Enhancement, reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive growth in the agricultural sector, stressing that every federal policy is designed to prioritize youth, women, and persons with disabilities.
Uzoma also stressed the role of digitalisation and access to information in enhancing productivity.
“At the comfort of your home, no matter the phone, you can access agricultural data and practices that can optimise yield. Government is providing a policy framework for access to information through the National Broadband Plan, NCC, and Rural Electrification initiatives, which are being extended to farming clusters to give farmers access to the internet and energy,” he said.
He noted that several federal initiatives including those by the Ministry of Youth Development and the Agricultural Training and Empowerment Program are being aligned to support young farmers.
“We must leverage these frameworks. Government is creating access and structure, but farmers must also take initiative,” he stressed.
Segun Awolowo, National Coordinator of the AfCFTA Implementation Office stressed on the opportunities the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers Nigerian entrepreneurs, particularly women and youth.
Awolowo revealed that over the past two years, his office had identified 10 key agricultural and manufactured products where Nigeria holds competitive advantage, including oil palm, shea butter, and spices.
“We developed market guides and an e-platform to help agripreneurs find where their products are in demand across Africa. The platform also serves as a matchmaking hub for buyers and sellers to trade easily within the continent,” he said.
He added that awareness and sensitisation efforts on AfCFTA opportunities remain a priority.
“Nigeria is large, and reaching everyone is a challenge. That’s why we focus on information dissemination helping everyday Nigerians understand what AfCFTA means for them,” Awolowo noted.
In her remarks, Osasuyi Dirisu, Executive Director of the Policy Innovation Centre (PIC), encouraged young innovators to take advantage of opportunities to develop scalable ideas within the agricultural value chain.
She revealed that PIC recently held a hackathon featuring over 450 young innovators, where participants received cash prizes and access to an innovation lab to co-create solutions for the food system.
“We are passionate about creating platforms where young people can innovate and do big things. Our design and innovation lab remains open for incubation and support,” she said.
