Stakeholders have called for an increased public investment and better implementation of the proposed 2027 agricultural budget.
The call followed a three-day National Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on the 2027 AgriFood Systems Budget, held in Lagos, organised by ActionAid Nigeria, GIZ, the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the ECOWAS Commission’s agriculture department.
In a communique, the stakeholders said the aggregate public spending on agriculture by the federal government, the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory was estimated at 4.58 per cent in 2026, significantly below the 10 per cent commitment under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme and the Kampala Declaration.
The stakeholders also raised concerns over poor implementation, noting that state-level capital budget implementation averaged about 50 per cent between 2023 and 2025.
They warned that delayed fund releases were particularly damaging to agriculture because planting and production activities are seasonal and time-sensitive.
According to evidence presented at the meeting, full implementation of approved agriculture and livestock capital budgets could generate an estimated 3.5 million direct quality jobs, including 2.1 million at the federal level and 1.4 million across states and the FCT.
They proposed a 2027 Agrifood Systems Shadow Capital Budget of N3.30 trillion, representing about 6 per cent of a N54.99 trillion reference national budget.
Stakeholders also recommended that the government consider a broader N10.5 trillion funding envelope as part of a realistic pathway towards meeting the 10 per cent benchmark.
They urged the Federal, State and Local Governments to progressively increase and protect agrifood funding, while ensuring that capital releases are made early enough to align with planting and production cycles.
The recommendations also called for stronger investment in mechanisation, irrigation, research, storage, processing, markets, agricultural insurance and climate resilience, rather than concentrating spending on fertiliser alone.
Stakeholders expressed concern that an estimated 98 per cent of the National Agricultural Development Fund’s 2026 capital allocation was concentrated on fertiliser programmes, despite the fund’s wider statutory mandate.
They said improved financing and accountability could strengthen food production, reduce post-harvest losses, create jobs and attract private investment across the agricultural value chain.
They urged lawmakers and government institutions to shift attention beyond budget allocations to the actual release, utilisation and measurable outcomes of agricultural spending.