Nigeria Urges African Nations to Increase Agricultural Research Investment

Nigeria Hosts Continental Science Week in Abuja

Kyari stated that Africa must move beyond consuming agricultural technologies developed elsewhere and instead become a global leader in generating technologies that match its ecological realities and development aspirations. He noted that knowledge has become the most valuable agricultural resource of the twenty-first century. According to Punch Newspapers, the minister emphasized that natural resources alone do not create prosperity without deliberate investments in knowledge, innovation, and enterprise.

Integration with National Agenda and Reforms

The minister explained that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has placed agriculture at the center of the Renewed Hope Agenda, recognizing that food security is inseparable from national security, economic prosperity, and social stability. As part of these domestic efforts, the Federal Government is expanding irrigation and all-season farming, strengthening agricultural mechanization, improving access to quality seeds and fertilizers, expanding agricultural finance, promoting digital agriculture, and supporting agro-industrial development.

Furthermore, the administration is strengthening agricultural research institutions, universities, extension services, and strategic partnerships to ensure public policies are guided by scientific evidence. Kyari highlighted that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, satellite monitoring, biotechnology, digital platforms, and data science are creating new opportunities to improve productivity and decision-making across the continent.

Broader Policy Commitments and Nutritional Challenges

Contextualizing the push for research investment, continental frameworks have long guided African agricultural policy. African Union member states adopted the Maputo Declaration in 2003, committing at least 10 percent of public expenditure to agriculture with an annual growth target of at least 6 percent, followed by the renewed Malabo Declaration in 2014, according to Medium. In January 2025, African leaders adopted the Kampala CAADP Declaration and the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan for 2026–2035 at an African Union Summit in Kampala.

Despite these frameworks, data from the African Union’s fifth CAADP Biennial Review published in 2025 showed that Nigeria scored 6.47 out of 10 against a benchmark of 9.40, classifying the country as not on track under the Malabo Declaration commitments. Nutritional hurdles also persist alongside agricultural demands. According to Medium, UNICEF reported in July 2026 that approximately one million children in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states were projected to experience severe acute malnutrition during the year.

Collaboration and Future Outlook for Agribank and Livestock

Delegates, researchers, and policymakers at the Abuja conference also focused on the broader agrifood value chain. Abubakar Adamu Dabban noted that Nigeria was honored to host the events, which align with regional cooperation and the Renewed Hope Agenda. Discussions during the sessions addressed livestock production as a key pillar of economic empowerment, nutritional security, and rural livelihoods, rather than a mere appendage to crop production.

Concluding his address, Kyari stressed that the future of African agriculture depends on institutional strength and scientific quality rather than the sheer size of land resources. He urged researchers to ensure that scientific discoveries translate into practical solutions that improve productivity, create jobs, strengthen climate resilience, restore degraded landscapes, improve nutrition, and drive economic growth.