The federal government says a strategic and robust public-private collaboration will drive increased production and innovation in agrifood systems across the Sahel region.

This was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday. The agriculture minister, Abubakar Kyari, said this at a high-level panel discussion at the FAO Hand-in-Hand Sahel Regional Initiative in Rome, Italy. He said the focus of the discourse was on accelerating capacity, partnerships, and investments to transform agrifood systems in the region.

The minister said the partnership would also create an enabling environment and better-quality investments in agrifood systems across the Sahel region.

He stressed the need for a Sahel region that would leverage strong institutions, innovative financing, strategic and robust public–private collaboration, and smart governance to unlock the full potential of farmers.

He added that the region should also be able to unlock the potential of its processors, small businesses, and revolutionise the agricultural ecosystem.

Mr Kyari outlined key reforms and programmes designed to enhance private sector participation, which included the National Agrifood System Investment Plan, which is being upgraded into a National Public–Private Investment Portal.

He said that NASIP is a transparent digital platform showcasing bankable opportunities in mechanisation, irrigation, storage, processing, logistics, and digital agrifood services.

Mr Kyari added that the streamlining of incentives included targeted investment tax and import duty reliefs to attract private sector participation with risk-sharing facilities in collaboration with development partners. He said that the government was scaling up the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones in the country.

The minister said the SAPZ, the largest of such initiatives in Africa, was currently being expanded from eight to twenty-seven states to provide integrated infrastructure and reduced costs for agro-processors.

He said that the Post-harvest Systems Transformation Programme aimed at reducing the ₦3.5 trillion lost annually to post-harvest inefficiencies through improved storage, cold chain, and warehousing solutions.

“The pathway to upscale is to implement a laudable agenda. Implementation is not abstract. It requires due diligence, smart governance, and unwavering political will,” he said.

Mr Kyari affirmed the ministry’s commitment to the hard, practical work of aligning policy with the possibility of turning investment promises into concrete projects that create jobs, feed families, and empower communities. He said the ministry would ensure that the Hand-in-Hand Initiative delivered measurable, lasting transformation for Nigeria’s agrifood systems.

(NAN)