Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has called for the speedy passage of the proposed Agricultural Extension Services Revitalisation Bill, saying the legislation is critical to boosting farmers’ productivity and building a resilient agri-food system in Nigeria.
Kyari made the call while speaking with journalists on the sideline of the ongoing Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS) 2026 in Kigali, Rwanda.
The Minister said the outcomes and key discussions at the continental forum were closely aligned with Nigeria’s agricultural policy priorities, particularly efforts to move the sector from subsistence farming to a competitive and commercially driven agribusiness sector.
He said the theme of the forum, ‘Investing in Africa’s Agri-Food Systems: Nourishing Nations, Growing Jobs, Building Resilience,’ captured the direction Nigeria must pursue to achieve food security, create employment and strengthen climate resilience.
According to him, agricultural extension services remain a critical driver of food sufficiency, increased productivity and sustainable agricultural development.
Kyari disclosed that the Agricultural Extension Services Revitalisation Bill had already passed first reading in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, urging the National Assembly to give the proposed legislation urgent attention.
He said its passage would provide the legal and institutional framework needed to modernise extension services and improve farmers’ access to knowledge, technology, finance and markets.
‘It is important to invest in agri-food systems, include women, youth and persons with disabilities, build climate resilience, and provide opportunities for finance and markets through a professional extension service,’ Kyari said.
The Minister noted that strengthening agricultural extension had remained one of his priorities since assuming office, adding that the discussions at AFS 2026 reinforced the need for a stronger extension system.
He said issues discussed in Kigali, including technology adoption, improved seed systems, climate-smart agriculture, digital transformation, data management and inclusive agricultural development, were also central to the proposed legislation.
Kyari further stressed the importance of stronger linkages among farmers, researchers, development partners, financial institutions and the private sector.
He recalled his call at the 9th Africa Agriculture Science Week in Abuja in July 2025 for increased collaboration among governments, researchers, development partners, private-sector actors and farmers, describing such partnerships as a key pillar of the proposed bill.
Also speaking with journalists in Kigali, Founder and Global Advocate of the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) and Head of the WOFAN-ICON2 Project, Hajia Salamatu Garba, expressed support for the proposed legislation.
Garba said WOFAN was among the co-sponsors of the Agricultural Extension Services Bill and was working with stakeholders, private-sector partners and farmers’ clusters to strengthen Nigeria’s extension system.
She said major sub-themes of the 20th Africa Food Systems Forum, including investment in agri-food systems, youth empowerment and entrepreneurship, women’s inclusion, climate resilience and sustainable agriculture, aligned with the priorities the bill seeks to institutionalise.
Garba confirmed that the bill had passed its initial legislative stages in both chambers of the National Assembly, with the public hearing and other legislative processes still outstanding.
She appealed to Kyari to support efforts to fast-track the legislation, expressing confidence that its enactment would strengthen agricultural extension services and help address some of the major challenges confronting Nigerian farmers.