The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has called on stakeholders in the agriculture sector to work together to address Nigeria’s food security challenges.
Kalu made the call while speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Abuja, where he stressed the need for unity and collective action to transform the sector.
He described agriculture as central to Nigeria’s future, noting that every job created in the sector feeds a household and keeps young people employed.
The Deputy Speaker urged farmers to organise themselves, embrace technology, and increase productivity. He also called on the government to establish a formal dialogue with agricultural leaders and develop sector-wide roadmaps.
Addressing AFAN leadership, Kalu said, “Establish a formal dialogue with the government on priority constraints. Develop sector-wide roadmaps for major commodities such as maize, rice, poultry and horticulture. Create working groups on infrastructure, finance, technology and markets. Be the architect of Nigeria’s agricultural future, not merely its commentator.”
He challenged state governments to prioritise agriculture in their budgets.
“To state governments: Allocate at least 5 percent of your budget to agricultural infrastructure. Implement the market mapping frameworks we have pioneered. Use data to target investments. Hold yourselves accountable for agricultural output and job creation in your states,” he said.
Kalu also called on the private sector to deepen its involvement in agriculture.
“To the private sector: Take risks. Invest in processing, logistics and market systems. Work with smallholders as partners, not vendors. Build the ecosystems that will make Nigeria a regional agricultural powerhouse,” he stated.
Addressing farmers directly, the Deputy Speaker said, “Organise. Embrace technology. Increase your productivity. You are not asking for charity. You are building wealth and feeding a nation. Demand the infrastructure and services you deserve.”
Kalu further reminded all stakeholders of agriculture’s importance to national stability.
“To all stakeholders: Agriculture is not marginal to Nigeria’s future. It is central. Every job created in agriculture is a household fed and a young person kept in the country rather than pushed toward cities or external migration. Every productivity gain in farming is stability in the polity,” he said.
He lamented the lack of collective resolve, despite Nigeria’s resources and policies.
“We have the resources. We have the policy environment. We have the partnerships. What we lack is unified will. Let us demonstrate that today and carry it back to our constituencies, our businesses, our farms and our communities,” Kalu explained
He concluded that the responsibility for food security goes beyond the government alone.
“The future of food security in Nigeria rests not with government alone, but with the collective action of this association and the millions of Nigerians who till the soil, trade the harvest and feed the nation,” he added.