The minister of state for agriculture and food security, Aliyu Abdullahi, said the federal government is working to increase food production, strengthen sustainability, and stabilise the nation’s food supply.

Mr Abdullahi spoke at the 2026 budget defence session organised by the Joint National Assembly Committees on Agriculture, Production, Services, and Rural Development in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said ongoing efforts to improve food security continue despite funding constraints, high input costs, and structural challenges affecting farmers nationwide.

Mr Abdullahi said, “Despite prevailing financial constraints, Nigerian farmers have shown strong commitment to production, with government surveys indicating marginal increases in output.”

The minister noted that sustaining gains requires addressing structural challenges confronting producers nationwide.

He added that about 30 per cent of the 2025 capital allocations, roughly N18 billion, is yet to be released.

“Only funds tied to constituency-related projects have seen partial disbursement, with about N19.8 billion released so far,” Mr Abdullahi said, adding that limited capital releases have slowed programme execution and restricted the ministry’s capacity to scale support for farmers.

For the 2026 fiscal year, Mr Abdullahi said the agricultural sector is projected to receive about N1 trillion in total allocation.

“Within this envelope, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is expected to receive approximately N262 billion for capital expenditure and about N19.18 billion for recurrent costs, including personnel and overheads,” he said.

He emphasised that the most pressing concern confronting farmers remains the rising cost of inputs such as fertiliser, driven by broader macroeconomic pressures beyond the ministry’s direct control.

“Gas pricing policies significantly affect manufacturers’ ability to produce affordable fertiliser for Nigerian farmers,” Mr Abdullahi said.

He also noted that taxation policies affecting agrochemicals and pesticides increase production costs, forcing farmers to balance rising costs with consumer expectations for lower food prices.

Mr Abdullahi urged lawmakers to support interventions that improve access to inputs, support domestic fertiliser production, and reduce cost pressures across the agricultural value chain.

In his remarks, chairman of the House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services Bello Ka’oje warned that reduced funding for the sector could undermine Nigeria’s food security ambitions and weaken economic recovery.

Mr Ka’oje added that the committee’s review would be guided by the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, focusing on translating public resources into strategies for food self-sufficiency, mechanisation, youth empowerment, and import substitution.

Also, Senator Saliu Mustapha (APC-Kwara), chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, urged the federal government to prioritise adequate funding and timely release of resources to safeguard food security and support economic growth.

“Low implementation of capital projects in the 2025 budget constrained productivity in the sector,” he said.

Mr Mustapha noted that while total national expenditure is projected to rise to N58.47 trillion in 2026, allocation to the agriculture ministry declined from N2.22 trillion in 2025 to N1.45 trillion.

He assured that the National Assembly would work with the ministry to ensure the 2026 budget delivers tangible benefits for Nigerians. 

(NAN)