Food security: Commodity associations unite to scale up production across Nigeria

Leaders of Nigeria’s major agricultural commodity associations have pledged to deepen collaboration in a renewed push to drive food security and national development.

At their inaugural joint meeting in Abuja at the weekend, the associations said they would develop and implement a unified strategy to scale food production in alignment with the federal government’s renewed hope agenda.

“We are united as a coalition representing millions of grassroots smallholder farmers,” the associations said in a communique signed by Aminu Muhammad, president of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN).

“With over 21 agricultural commodities under our umbrella — including maize, sorghum, millet, cassava, cocoa, rice, cotton, groundnuts, palm oil, sugarcane, legumes, tree crops and tomatoes — we are well-positioned to drive Nigeria’s agricultural transformation.”

The coalition said it had a presence in all 774 LGAs, with structures in 8,909 wards and 17,846 polling units across the country — an extensive reach that enhances its capacity to mobilise and create widespread impact.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, the associations said their coordinated efforts helped avert food crises despite global supply chain disruptions.

They also cited their contribution to reducing Nigeria’s annual rice import bill — from $1.5 billion in 2015 to $18.5 million in 2023 — and the creation of 12.8 million direct and indirect jobs across agricultural value chains.

Beyond the economy, the coalition acknowledged its role in grassroots political mobilisation and its support for government initiatives at both state and federal levels.

“We remain committed to building sustainable food systems, empowering farmers, and contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s development,” the communique reads.

Those present at the meeting included Anibe Achimugu, president of the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN); Bello Abubakar Anoor, president of the Maize Association of Nigeria (MAAN); Florence Edwards, president of the Cotton Producers and Merchants Association of Nigeria (COPMAN); Umar Muhammad Baba, president of the Soya Beans Farmers Association of Nigeria (SOFAN); and Mustapha Othman, president of the Nigeria Cassava Growers’ Association (NCGA).

Others in attendance were Abdulkadir Ibrahim Gaya of the National Association of Sorghum Producers, Processors and Marketers of Nigeria (NASPPAM); Ado Sule, director of administration at NACOTAN; Umar Abdulkadir, director of administration and finance at COPMAN; and Nasir Liman, a business and finance consultant.

This is an AI-assisted report.