By Agrobroadcast Team.
Stakeholders across Nigeria’s agricultural value chain have stressed that the country’s ability to attain food security by 2026 will depend largely on how effectively it deploys mechanisation, irrigation, climate-smart agriculture and strengthened post-harvest and supply-chain systems.
The experts, cautioned that increases in farm output alone would not translate into food availability, affordability or improved livelihoods unless production is supported by efficient value addition, storage, processing and market infrastructure.
They noted that 2026 presents a pivotal moment for Nigeria to move away from its largely rain-fed, seasonal and fragmented agricultural system towards a modern, resilient and market-driven sector capable of withstanding climate shocks and meeting domestic demand.
Oyewole Okewole, Senior Associate Consultant at FutuX Agri-consult Limited, said the coming year must focus on resolving persistent bottlenecks that weakened Nigeria’s competitive agricultural value chains in 2025.
According to him, attention must shift decisively from production volumes to post-harvest management and market integration.
“Priority must be given to value addition, storage, post-harvest handling, processing and supply-chain infrastructure to curb waste and improve farmers’ incomes,” Okewole said.
He added that targeted support should be extended to agribusinesses operating within these segments, particularly firms involved in agricultural exports, to enhance competitiveness and expand foreign exchange earnings.
Okewole further identified access to finance and modern production systems as key determinants of progress in the sector.
“Affordable credit and the adoption of modern, climate-smart farming techniques will determine whether agriculture stagnates or experiences real transformation,” he said, expressing optimism that improved macroeconomic management could support a more positive food price outlook in 2026.
Speaking on production systems, President of the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN), Anibe Achimugu, projected increased dry-season farming across staple and cash crops, driven largely by irrigation-led cultivation.
He also pointed to improved access to mechanisation through innovative service-based models and stronger private-sector participation in value-chain development, particularly in processing and storage.
Achimugu argued that Nigeria must fundamentally rethink its farming calendar.
“Deliberate transition from seasonal to year-round farming is critical,” he said, noting that scaling irrigation and dry-season cultivation would reduce vulnerability to rainfall variability and stabilise food supply throughout the year.
He maintained that mechanisation should be provided as a service rather than owned individually, advocating for zonal mechanisation centres equipped with trained operators, agronomists, mechanics and spare-parts facilities.
Beyond production, Achimugu underscored the importance of efficient post-harvest systems.
“Coordinated aggregation, commodity market centres and storage infrastructure are necessary to reduce losses and support price stability,” he said.
Echoing similar views, Prince Oyewumi Oyedele Oyetunde, Editor-in-Chief of Farmers Choice Magazine, identified policy-driven scaling, investment and technology adoption as major opportunities for the sector.
He said expanded wheat and staple crop programmes could deepen domestic production and reduce import dependence, while clear national agricultural investment frameworks and monitoring tools would support consistent progress.
On investment, Oyetunde noted that increased public-private partnerships, improved access to finance and expanded processing infrastructure could unlock productivity, attract capital and create jobs.
He also highlighted the role of technology and climate adaptation, stressing that accelerated adoption of digital extension services, precision farming, mobile advisory platforms and solar-powered irrigation would modernise agriculture and reduce post-harvest losses.
“Scaling climate-smart agriculture such as drought-tolerant seeds, irrigation systems and weather-indexed insurance is essential to building resilience against erratic rainfall and extreme weather events,” he said.
Managing Director of BIC Farms Concept, Adebowale Onafowora, described irrigation as the defining priority for the year.
“This must be the year irrigation takes centre stage,” he said, calling for the institutionalisation of the Dry Season Agricultural Survey and the expansion of decentralised irrigation systems, greenhouses and controlled-environment farming.
Onafowora also emphasised value-chain development, warning against continued reliance on raw commodity exports.
“We must stop exporting raw materials and importing poverty,” he said, arguing that local processing and value addition represent the real opportunity for 2026.
He cautioned against complacency, noting that modest sectoral growth figures mean little in the face of widespread food insecurity.
“We cannot celebrate growth while millions are projected to go hungry,” he said, adding that without sustained investment in mechanisation, smart farming, agritech, skills development and farmer security, the sector would merely be managing poverty rather than creating wealth.
From the livestock and grains perspective, President of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Sunday Ezeobiora, highlighted opportunities in dry-season crop production and post-harvest infrastructure.
He called for a large-scale, government-backed dry-season farming initiative for maize and soya, noting that stabilising these inputs would help stabilise the prices of chicken and eggs, Nigeria’s most affordable protein sources.
Ezeobiora also identified cold-chain logistics and processing as critical growth areas, particularly in reducing post-harvest losses in the broiler segment and ensuring steady supply.
He concluded that agriculture remains a powerful driver of economic diversification, job creation and industrialisation if investments are strategically prioritised across crops, livestock and processing.