Nigeria, nine others seek $6b to bridge irrigation gap
The Federal Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Hand in Hand initiative, is targeting an investment portfolio of about $3.14 billion to support five agricultural value chains covering cassava, maize, dairy, tomato and fisheries.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, dropped the hint during the National and Sub-regional Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum to enhance Agriculture Investment in West Africa and the Sahel, held yesterday in Abuja.
He said the investment outlay, backed by $1.75 billion in government funding and $1.39 billion in private sector commitments with an average internal rate of return of 14 per cent, is to lift millions out of poverty, create jobs, and enhance food and nutrition security.
The minister added that the portfolio would deliver climate gains, noting that “per capita incomes will rise by as much as $657, and we will contribute to global climate goals by sequestering over 1.2 million tonnes of carbon.”
Kyari noted that the initiative would eradicate poverty, end hunger, build resilience in rural communities, achieve food sovereignty, and align with global frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Action Plan.
He stressed that Nigeria remains one of the most compelling agricultural investment destinations in Africa, given the over 70 million hectares of arable land and about three million hectares of potential irrigable land.
The minister said investors would leverage tax incentives, exemptions on agricultural machinery imports, pioneer status tax holidays, and credits for firms sourcing raw materials locally.
In his remarks, FAO Country Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr Hussein Gadain, applauded the country’s commitment to the initiative, describing it as a vehicle for achieving the SDGs and Africa’s vision, as outlined in the Kampala Declaration.
Gadain lauded the Nigerian government’s leadership, particularly Vice President Kassim Shettima’s role in mobilising investment and innovation, as well as the ministry’s work in developing bankable investment cases across critical value chains.
He stressed that Nigeria’s involvement in the Hand-in-Hand for the Sahel sub-regional initiative on water and irrigation was “a game-changer”, unlocking agricultural and fisheries potential, while building climate resilience.
He appreciated the role of Nigeria’s Ministries of Water Resources, Budget and Planning, and Livestock Development in advancing the initiative, while calling for deeper collaboration with development partners and private investors.
In his goodwill messages, Head of the European Union Delegation in Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, stated that the initiative reflects the nation’s strong commitment to strengthening food security and deepening investment across the agribusiness value chain.
Similarly, Nigeria and 10 other nations in the Sahel region are seeking $6 billion to irrigate 1.2 million hectares of land across the region.
The other countries include Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, The Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal.
The FAO Sub-regional Coordinator for West Africa and FAO Representative for Senegal, Mrs Bintia Stephen-Tchicaya, disclosed this at the event yesterday in Abuja.
She revealed that the countries, in their five-year irrigation investment plan, collectively target the irrigation or rehabilitation of 1.2 million hectares, requiring about $8 billion, of which the nations have committed $2 billion, and are seeking partnerships with resource partners to bridge the $6 billion gap.
Stephen-Tchicaya said the investment forum would serve as a space for matchmaking between countries and partners, with the aim of mobilising the needed investments and contributing to the fight against poverty and malnutrition, given that about 307 million people in Africa experienced hunger in 2024.
The regional officer explained that the initiative was spearheaded by the FAO Director-General as a movement rooted in solidarity, science, and strategic partnerships, saying the project was to accelerate agricultural transformation, eradicate poverty, end hunger, and reduce inequalities.
