The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has renewed its call for farmer-centred reforms, stronger partnerships, and increased investment in value addition as it convened its 2026 Annual General Assembly, bringing together farmers, policymakers, private sector actors, and development partners from across the country.
Speaking at the gathering, AFAN National President, Alhaji Dr. Farouk Rabiu-Mudi, said the Assembly was convened to confront long-standing challenges facing Nigerian farmers, including limited access to finance and inputs, weak institutional coordination, inadequate extension services, and low adoption of innovation.
“Agriculture remains the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, providing livelihoods, food security, and income for millions. Yet farmers continue to benefit insufficiently from public investment and market opportunities.
This Assembly is about putting farmers back at the centre of policy, investment, and development planning,” Rabiu-Mudi said.
He explained that the three-day Assembly is structured to deliver practical outcomes. The programme opens with a focus on strengthening AFAN’s institutional capacity and its engagement with national agricultural policy. The second day targets private sector participation in agribusiness, value chain development, and investment, while the final day centres on innovation, research collaboration, and grassroots farmer empowerment, particularly in technology adoption, seed systems, fertiliser supply, and market access.
Adding weight to the discussions, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives reaffirmed the National Assembly’s support for an inclusive agricultural transformation anchored on smallholder farmers. Citing the Central Bank’s 2026 Macroeconomic Outlook, he noted that agriculture is projected to grow by 3.5%–4.5%, driven by improved inputs, extension services, and post-harvest infrastructure.
However, he warned that such growth would be hollow if it failed to lift the over 40 million smallholder farming households that sustain the sector. “The task before us is not just to grow agriculture, but to grow it inclusively,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker commended the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration for prioritising agriculture through reforms such as the Agricultural Promotion Policy, the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative, and the declaration of a national emergency on food security, noting that early results were already visible in key production zones.
He also drew attention to Nigeria’s weak performance in agricultural exports, pointing out that while the country earns about $3 billion annually from largely unprocessed commodities, greater value addition could unlock over $10 billion in foreign exchange and create millions of jobs.
The Assembly is expected to produce a unified communiqué, an AFAN institutional strengthening plan, and a national agricultural advocacy framework, reinforcing AFAN’s role as the collective voice of Nigerian farmers and a key driver of inclusive, productive, and sustainable agricultural growth.