Nigeria risks falling short of its zero-hunger target by 2030 unless it undertakes policy reforms to attract private sector investment into its food systems, experts have warned.
The call came during a high-level stakeholders’ nutrition dialogue held in Abuja on Tuesday.
Eyram Amovin-Assagba, Programme Officer for Agribusiness and Entrepreneurship at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), said stronger policy frameworks and financial mobilisation are vital if the country is to eradicate hunger sustainably.
“To achieve zero hunger by 2030, we have a series of actions that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture should take. Investments are needed to transform the agri-food system in Nigeria. This investment cannot happen if we don’t have the right policies in place, if we don’t support SMEs, get them to be ready for investments”, he said.
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Amovin-Assagba noted that the right policies would catalyse micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), describing them as the cornerstone of inclusive development. “MSMEs are the anchor of the development agenda of Nigeria. They are more closer to the populations, they are likely to make more impact. So we should give them the chance to prove what they can do.”
He further stated that one essence of the nutrition dialogue is to mobilise policy and investments to mainstream nutrition in the food system agenda in Nigeria, so that “Nigeria will come back to its power in Africa.”
Obinna Igwebuike, Coordinator of the Country Agribusiness Partnerships Framework (CAP-F) in Nigeria stressed that the country must urgently address gaps in production, storage, and distribution infrastructure, nothing that Nigeria is still far from achieving its target.
“Nigeria still have a long way to go, and that’s why we need every partner on board, all hands on deck, to ensure that the critical investments are made to prepare us, not just from a production point of view, but also from an infrastructure point of view, so that we can reduce food waste.
“We also need to support smallholder farmers, who are responsible for producing about 80% of the food that we consume as a country. We’re very far off course, but we can try to get a bit on course if everyone is working together”, he said.
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CAP-F serves as the national implementation partner for the Zero Hunger Pledge in Nigeria, which aims to galvanise private sector investment into food systems with a nutrition lens.
According to Igwebuike, “the Zero Hunger Pledge is an attempt to stimulate private sector investments in food systems adding that government and development finance cannot do it alone.
“So the private sector has a critical role in ensuring that investments are made that promote nutrition, reduce hunger, and essentially improve human development outcomes.”
He said that agribusiness remains a strong commercial proposition across all major value chains. “Food systems offer very significant investment opportunities, whatever the value chain—whether we’re talking about dairy, livestock, or cereals. Agriculture or food systems will always provide return on investment, especially if the investments are done right”, he expalined.
Samuel Oche, Senior Land Resources Officer at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, described the nutrition dialogue as both timely and urgent, noting that despite the country’s significant agricultural potential, millions of Nigerians, particularly women, children and vulnerable groups continue to face the devastating consequences of undernutrition and food insecurity.
He emphasised that nutrition must be seen not only as a health issue but as a development imperative, urging stronger collaboration across sectors to drive systemic change. “Nutrition is not just about food, but also about the system that delivers that food , from production to processing, distribution, education and consumption. We must align our policies, pool our resources and sustain the political will needed to deliver lasting impact”, he said.
