FG unveils fresh incentives to boost agricultural investment

The Federal Government has announced new incentives to drive agricultural investment and strengthen food security under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the FAO National and Subregional Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum, where he emphasized agriculture as a cornerstone of national security and economic growth.

He said the administration is introducing single-window land registration platforms, expanding irrigation infrastructure, scaling mechanisation, and strengthening agricultural credit systems to attract investors.

Shettima stressed that irrigation could triple yields and reduce dependence on seasonal farming, noting that Nigeria currently uses less than 10% of its irrigation potential.

“We must open access to land, strengthen credit, and drive mechanisation to enhance productivity.

“Nigeria is open for business and ready to partner with investors to build a nation where no one goes to bed hungry,” he said.

The Vice President added that Nigeria’s National Development Plan (2021–2025) targets lifting 35 million citizens out of poverty, creating 21 million rural jobs, and securing national food and nutrition sufficiency through strategic investments in agriculture.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, highlighted Nigeria’s vast arable land, large domestic market, and agribusiness potential as key opportunities for investors.

Development partners, including the FAO, EU, and The Gambia, commended Nigeria’s agricultural priorities, with FAO’s representative Dr. Hussein Gadain praising Shettima’s “visionary leadership” in transforming food systems and the EU pledging over €80 million to boost value chains across seven states.