The Federal Government, in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Heifer International, has launched a multi-stakeholder knowledge-sharing platform to strengthen the National Digital Farmers’ Registry (NDFR).
Speaking at a two-day Capacity Building Workshop on Best Practices for the National Digital Farmers’ Registry yesterday in Abuja, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to establishing a unified, verifiable, and technology-driven database for farmers nationwide.
The workshop, convened under the Federal Government–IFAD Digital Innovation Action Plan, brought together government agencies, development partners, private-sector actors, civil society groups, farmers’ organisations, academia, and the media.
Declaring the workshop open, the minister stressed that Nigeria’s long-standing challenge of fragmented farmer databases must end, noting that the absence of an integrated system has led to duplication, inconsistencies, and resource leakages.
He described the National Digital Farmers’ Registry as a strategic tool to strengthen agricultural planning, deliver targeted interventions, and enhance accountability.
Kyari explained that the new registry is anchored on the National Identification Number (NIN) through a partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), ensuring that every farmer is uniquely captured.
He added that the ministry is also collaborating with the Office of the National Security Adviser to incorporate strong data-protection measures, cybersecurity protocols, and national security safeguards.
According to him, the workshop will serve as a co-creation forum for government agencies, development partners, technology innovators, researchers, and farmer groups to jointly design practical, locally relevant solutions for the effective implementation of the registry.
In her remarks, IFAD Country Director, Dede Ekoue, commended the Federal Government for taking the bold step to develop a National Digital Farmers’ Registry, describing the initiative as a clear demonstration of its commitment to transforming the agricultural sector and improving the livelihoods of Nigerian farmers.
She said the learning platform marks a significant step toward agricultural transformation, as it aims to mobilise key stakeholders to support a robust, NIN-powered registry that enhances service delivery, promotes transparency, and ensures inclusivity.
Ekoue noted that, over the two-day session, participants will develop strategic recommendations for the government and will be equipped with the skills and knowledge required to support implementation in line with global best practices.
Country Director of Heifer International, Dr. Lekan Tobe, said the organisation is leading efforts to build the capacity of stakeholders within the ecosystem to ensure a coordinated farmers’ registry that enables effective planning.
“We want to develop a platform where you can search for farmers in Kano or anywhere else and get verifiable numbers instantly — or search for tomato farmers in Katsina and have the results displayed. These are part of the coordination efforts we are working toward, which are currently lacking to a large extent,” he said.
