The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and key players in Nigeria’s agricultural sector have called for stronger support for smallholder farmers, improved food sovereignty, and deeper collaboration across the agribusiness value chain to safeguard the nation’s food future.
The call was made during the LCCI Agribusiness Outlook 2026, themed “Agribusiness Outlook for 2026: Policy and Business,” held on Wednesday in Lagos. Stakeholders warned that without deliberate government support and coordinated public-private partnerships, Nigeria risks undermining its food security ambitions and discouraging investment in the sector.
Dr Muda Yusuf, Director of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), urged prioritising primary production, particularly smallholder farming, which he said cannot thrive under pure market forces. He stressed the need for policy-backed interventions, price stabilisation mechanisms, and minimum guaranteed prices to protect farmers from sudden price crashes.
Ade Adefeko, Director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Olam Agri, shifted the conversation to food sovereignty, arguing that while Nigeria is food secure, it is not food sovereign. He highlighted gaps in preservation, processing, and infrastructure as major barriers to competitiveness and called for single-digit financing and regulatory clarity to enable agribusiness growth.
AfricanFarmer Mogaji, CEO of X-Ray Farms Consulting, emphasised the importance of collaboration across the value chain to stabilise prices and boost productivity, citing challenges in corn and tomato markets and stressing sustainable supply over ad hoc interventions.
The President of LCCI, Leye Kupoluyi, reinforced the message, noting that agriculture remains central to Nigeria’s economy. He called for predictable, farmer-centred policies in land administration, trade regulation, taxation, and access to foreign exchange for agricultural machinery to boost productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, and strengthen the economy.
The summit concluded with a consensus that deliberate, collaborative, and policy-driven efforts are critical for transforming Nigeria’s agribusiness sector, ensuring food sovereignty, and powering industrial and economic growth.
