Nigeria Facilitates CAADP Implementation, selects AGRA as Strategic Partner

In a decisive step toward strengthening food systems and accelerating agricultural transformation, Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, CON, has launched the Agricultural Sector Working Group (ASWG), placing collaboration and accountability at the heart of national progress.

AGRA Nigeria Country Director, Rufus Idris with Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Sen Abubakar Kyari, CON at the launch of the Agricultural Sector Working Group

At the center of this renewed momentum is the inclusion of AGRA as a key partner within both the ASWG and the Technical Committee on the Kampala Declaration.

This strategic move positions AGRA to contribute directly to shaping Nigeria’s pathway toward realizing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) 2025 agenda.

“Through structured dialogue and shared expertise, we can ensure our policies and programmes are not only fit for today but resilient for tomorrow,” Minister Kyari emphasized adding that “This Working Group must champion solutions that reflect our realities and drive inclusive impact.”

AGRA’s engagement in Nigeria builds on more than a decade of trusted collaboration with national and state actors.

With experience supporting state-level agricultural strategies, enhancing policy implementation, and unlocking investment flows, AGRA now brings that deep insight to the ASWG and the Kampala Declaration process.

“This is a pivotal moment,” said Rufus Idris, AGRA’s Country Director for Nigeria, saying “We are not just advising—we are co-creating the pathway to a food system that works for Nigerian farmers, businesses, and consumers.”

Already, AGRA’s work in Nigeria has supported over 1 million smallholder farmers with access to improved inputs, markets, and finance.

It has contributed to the development or implementation of six state-level agricultural strategies and helped catalyze private sector investments through platforms like the AFSF (Africa Food Systems Forum) Agribusiness Deal Room. AGRA’s seat at the table ensures these results are scaled nationally—anchored in the principles of CAADP and aligned with the AU’s Malabo Commitments.

AGRA’s participation in the Technical Committee on the Kampala Declaration ensures that Nigeria’s CAADP domestication is not only context-driven but continental in ambition.

The Committee is tasked with crafting a National Action Plan by September 2025—a roadmap that must turn Africa’s food systems vision into measurable, inclusive outcomes.

By drawing on its experience across 12 African countries and its robust network of research and policy experts, AGRA is supporting the translation of continental frameworks into practical, investable strategies tailored to Nigeria’s unique context.

“We are not starting from scratch,” said Mr. Idris adding that “We are building on years of groundwork—and now it’s time to accelerate and deliver.”

Spekaing further, he noted that “For Nigeria’s smallholder farmers, CAADP is more than a policy, it is a promise of better access to markets, finance, technology, and fairer systems. AGRA’s role is to ensure this promise is fulfilled, and that farmers move from surviving to thriving.

“As the August 2025 deadline approaches, AGRA calls on development partners, the private sector, and civil society to rally behind Nigeria’s leadership and align investments and innovations with the national strategy.

“Transformation does not happen in silos. It happens when we work together, listen deeply, and share responsibility for results,” Mr. Idris added.