Stakeholders in the agrifood value chain have sealed a deal to transform Nigeria’s food systems as well as encourage SMEs and smallholder farmers to upscale quality food production in the country.
The stakeholders signed the covenant at the official launch of “Nigeria Food Systems Transformation Alliance” in Lagos on Wednesday, with key players in the value chain, including financial institutions and the diplomatic community backing the deal.
The Food Systems Transformation Alliance is a private sector-led initiative that brings together Nigerian and Nigerian-based food manufacturing companies, banks, and supply chain actors to drive food system transformation processes. It is expected to drive local sourcing, develop local agrifood supply chains, and have insight into specific investments that will lead to competitive local supply chains and development.
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The alliance will work with SMEs and smallholder farmers to strengthen business management capacity, commercialisation, and product quality, and meet specs at scale; engage banks to provide access to suitable and affordable finance; engage governments to resolve bottlenecks along the value chains, create enabling policies, and target infrastructure investments.
Michel Deelen, Netherlands Consul-General, Lagos, who spoke at the launch, stressed the importance of strengthening local agrifood supply chains. According to the diplomat, Nigeria not only need scale but also quality food production to meet the nutritional needs of its burgeoning young population.
Also speaking, Sadiq Usman, group director, strategy and stakeholder relations, Flour Mills Nigeria, pointed to the need for the government to train and engage thousands of agricultural extension personnel, whom he said are needed to guide and train farmers across the country on best practices and modern farming techniques for best results.
Usman also noted that the private sector was willing to fund research and development in the agro sector for smart farming and production scale.
Marion Moon, from the Presidential Food Systems Coordination Unit, in her goodwill message, reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to supporting the private sector-led initiative, noting that its objectives align with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda of driving food security and economic growth.
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Other speakers at the event, including Mohammed Ibrahim, executive secretary, National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), Yemisi Iranloye, chief executive officer, Psaltry International Limited, Yosola Onanuga, of the TGI Group, among others, highlighted the benefits of the alliance, noting that it would advance sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient food systems in Nigeria and beyond.
