Can new agric laws put food on every table?

From Okwe Obi, Abuja

The federal government’s proposed review of laws and policies governing Nigeria’s food and agricultural sector has again raised questions about the direction of its efforts to achieve food security and ultimately, food sovereignty.

This is not the first time the government has announced plans to reform policies and strengthen the agricultural sector.

However, implementation has often fallen short of expectations, leaving Nigeria struggling with inadequate and unstable food supplies, rising food prices and weak purchasing power among consumers.

The latest move seeks to address some of the legal and regulatory challenges that have constrained the sector.

Recently, the Director of Legal Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Hafsat Dupe Belgore, said the first phase of the review involved a comprehensive diagnostic mapping of existing agricultural legislation.

According to her, the exercise has identified obsolete provisions, overlapping mandates and regulatory gaps, as well as areas where existing laws no longer reflect current realities.

She said the review would take into account emerging challenges and developments, including climate change, mechanisation, agricultural technology, private-sector investment and the transformation of Nigeria’s food systems.

Belgore, who was represented by an Assistant Legal Adviser, Manbyen Mamvong, at a stakeholders’ technical retreat in Abuja, described the second phase as more critical and decisive, noting that it moves the process from diagnosis to concrete legal re-engineering.

She listed three objectives of the second phase as: to validate findings and draft reform proposals from the first phase; to harvest sector-specific inputs to enrich the reform process; and to align the review with the Renewed Hope Agenda, other relevant national laws and international best practices.

“This session is therefore not a repetition, but a consolidation. We are here to refine, to interrogate draft provisions, and to ensure that the new legal framework we are crafting is practical, enforceable, inclusive, and capable of driving Nigeria towards food sovereignty and agribusiness-led economic growth,” Belgore said.

The Chairman, House Committee on Agricultural Production Services, Bello Ka’oje, said that the review of the eighteen agricultural laws was an important step towards ensuring that the legislative legal framework remains relevant to the realities and emerging opportunities in Nigeria’s agricultural sector’’

Represented by the Committee Deputy Chairman, Kelechi Nwogu, Ka’oje stated that as legislators, they remain committed to working with the ministry and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that outcome of process translates into practical and effective legislation.

On his part, the Consultant and Lead Partner, Thinkfield Law, Emeka Ogenyi pointed out that the initiative would ensure that stakeholders validate the proposed amendment, incorporate the approved input, and submit the final harmonized version to the Ministry of Justice for legal drafting.

He added that the amendments would ensure a modern, coherent, fit-for-purpose agricultural legal framework to support sustainable agricultural development and investment in Nigeria.

Before now, the government had unveiled a comprehensive 10-Year Agrifood system strategy and Action Plan that would be submitted to the Federal Executive Council for approval as part of efforts to align Nigeria’s food security agenda with the African Union’s CAADP Kampala Declaration (2026–2035) as well as revolutionizing the agricultural ecosystem

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, revealed that the directive came from President Bola Tinubu, with a clear charge to move beyond rhetoric, beyond pilot projects, and beyond fragmented interventions and deliver a coherent, bankable, and implementable plan to transform Nigeria’s agrifood system, considers food security a national security imperative.

He said that “Governance is not merely one of six strategic objectives of the Kampala Declaration; it is the bedrock upon which all other pillars sustainable production, investment, food security, inclusivity, and resilience must stand.

Since then nothing has been heard about it. As interesting as it sounds, Women Enterprise Alliance (WENA), offered what it considered important for the country to favourably compete with global players in the food sector.

WENA suggested gender mainstreaming which will ensure food security through the formation of a gender-friendly technology with local content.

Also, it said: “There is a need for accelerated political will to drive the implementation of Agricultural related policies.

“The Government should invest in green-house technologies to enhance learning on agricultural innovations

“There is a need for renewed investments in Research and Development, in promoting food security and agricultural sustainability.

“There is a need for concerted efforts from agricultural stakeholders and the ecosystem to create a viable agriculture marketplace and e-commerce platform.

“Agricultural students in high institutions should be exposed to innovative agricultural practices – such as smart farming, hydroponics, aquaponics, aeroponics, etc.

“There is a need to bridge the gap between Development Finance Institutions and Small holder farmers to improve access to finance for scalability.

“The adoption of innovation in agriculture should be a function of geography, scalability, and sustainability.

“Government and stakeholders should invest in locally fabricated materials to enhance the scalability and acceptability of innovative technology in agriculture.

“There is a need for universities to provide practical training to students on modern technologies and agricultural best practices.

“There is a need for continuous interactions through e-platforms to allow for continuous learning and experience sharing. Adoption of Smart agricultural practices is essential for enhanced food security.

“There is a need for the development of efficient water harvesting technology to ensure food security. There is an urgent need to develop efficient agricultural precision technology for improved crop quality and profitability.

“Community-based seed and seedling production strategies should be embraced to improve the seed supply system for economic growth.”

WENA added that, “there is a need to update the agricultural curriculum to include modern precision technology to make agriculture attractive to youths. Integrated farming should be embraced for agricultural sustainability.

“There is a need to ensure a community-based agroforestry system for carbon trading. There is a need for gender-segregated digital data for all value chains.

“Right-based management system is essential to allow for the sustainable management of water resources.

“It is essential for Agribusinesses to maximize the opportunity available locally and globally by leveraging technological platforms. There is a need to develop local market and market information systems.

“Government, and Non-Government Organizations should invest in creating a database of the various agricultural ecosystems.

“There is a need to adopt smart agricultural practices to improve resilience, increase productivity and mitigate climate change.

“There is a need to adjust the existing curriculum to include innovative agriculture.”