Shaping the Future: NABG’s Role in Advancing the National Agribusiness Policy Mechanism in Nigeria

by Amrah Aliyu | Jun 16, 2025 | NABG, Agribusiness

Nigeria’s agricultural sector is evolving—and at its core is a simple but critical truth: policies must serve the people they are designed to support. At the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), we understand that sustainable change happens when policy is built on reality, not assumptions.

Over the past two days, NABG proudly participated in the National Agribusiness Policy Mechanism (NAPM) workshop, convened by the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU). This important gathering brought together stakeholders from across the agriculture value chain to engage in open, often tough conversations about Nigeria’s food systems and the future of agribusiness.

Asking the Hard Questions

Unlike many high-level meetings that remain confined to spreadsheets and theoretical forecasts, the NAPM workshop confronted the real challenges facing Nigeria’s agriculture sector head-on.

Together, we asked critical questions:

• How do we build a food system that reflects the daily realities of Nigerian farmers?

• What kind of data is needed to inform smarter, more inclusive policies?

• How can we ensure policies are not only designed for the people but co-created with them?

These questions are at the heart of NABG’s mission—to bridge the gap between policy and practice, and between government and grassroots realities.

Toward a Unified National Framework

At the center of these discussions lies a shared goal:
✅ To create a unified National Agribusiness Policy Mechanism in Nigeria that enables:

• Thriving agribusiness enterprises

• Efficient public investment

• Stronger market linkages

• Sustainable rural development

• Inclusive participation across gender, youth, and smallholder farmers

  

   

  The mechanism seeks to harmonize existing policies, close operational gaps, and establish clear governance structures that foster accountability, transparency, and coordination.

  The Power of Data-Driven Agriculture

  One recurring theme throughout the workshop was the critical role of data in driving agricultural transformation.

  Reliable, real-time data empowers policymakers to:

  • Make evidence-based decisions

  • Monitor program impact effectively

  • Allocate resources efficiently

  • Anticipate emerging risks and respond proactively

  As NABG continues to advocate, data-driven agriculture is not just a buzzword—it is a necessary foundation for building resilience across Nigeria’s food systems.

  People-Centered Policy: A Non-Negotiable

  For policies to succeed, they must be people-centered. This means:

  • Listening to farmers’ voices

  • Recognizing the informal actors that power local food systems

  • Designing interventions that address context-specific realities

  • Including women, youth, and marginalized groups in both consultation and execution

  At NABG, we believe that inclusive policymaking ensures that reforms deliver true economic impact where it matters most: in the lives of rural communities and the entrepreneurs who sustain Nigeria’s agribusiness ecosystem.

  NABG’s Ongoing Commitment

  As always, NABG remains committed to being:

  • A trusted bridge between policymakers and private sector actors

  • A voice for the thousands of agripreneurs who form the backbone of Nigeria’s food systems

  • A catalyst for data-informed, people-centered agricultural transformation in Nigeria

  We commend the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit for convening this critical conversation and reaffirm our dedication to collaborating with all partners in building a resilient, inclusive, and prosperous future for Nigerian agriculture.

  From policy discussions to field implementation, NABG continues to advocate for agricultural policies that work with farmers, not just for farmers.

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  #NAPM #NABG #FoodSystemsReform #DataDrivenAgriculture #RuralDevelopment #AgribusinessNigeria #InclusivePolicy #AgribusinessTransformation

Redesigning Agribusiness: How Capacity Building Is Transforming Horticulture Value Chain Finance in Nigeria

by Amrah Aliyu | Jun 16, 2025 | NABG, Agribusiness

In Nigeria’s growing agriculture sector, horticulture value chain finance has long been an untapped frontier—riddled with risks, structural gaps, and limited access to capital. But a new wave of collaboration is changing that narrative.

At the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), we believe that partnerships build ecosystems. That’s why we proudly stood alongside HortiNigeria — a Dutch-funded program led by IFDC (International Fertilizer Development Center) — at the recently concluded Capacity-Building Training for Banks on the Horticulture Value Chain and Risk Management. This was more than just another workshop; it was a collective leap toward sustainable agribusiness financing in Nigeria.

The Challenge: Unlocking Finance for Nigeria’s Horticulture Value Chain

For too long, horticulture farmers and agripreneurs in Nigeria have faced an uphill battle when it comes to financing their businesses.
The reasons are complex:

• Perishability of produce: Fruits and vegetables often spoil quickly, increasing financial risks.

• Seasonal uncertainties: Weather and market fluctuations disrupt production and income cycles.

• Lack of tailored financial products: Traditional bank loans are not designed for the unique needs of horticulture businesses.

• Perceived high risk by lenders: Financial institutions often lack the technical knowledge to accurately assess risks in the horticulture value chain.

The result? Limited capital, stifled growth, and untapped potential in one of the most lucrative sectors of Nigeria’s agriculture economy.

The Turning Point: Capacity-Building Training That Moves Policy to Practice

The capacity-building training provided a rare opportunity to bring banks, microfinance institutions, development finance organizations, and value chain actors into one room — to learn, to question, and to co-create solutions.

From interactive sessions to technical presentations, participants explored:

• The full length of the horticulture value chain — from farm to market

• Innovative risk management tools tailored to horticulture

• Case studies on successful agribusiness finance models

• Pathways to de-risk lending for agribusiness

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  DG NABG , JAFAR UMAR during his goodwillmessage

  How to design inclusive agrifinance products that serve both large-scale farmers and smallholder producers

As our Director General, Jafar Abubakar Umar, rightly noted during his goodwill message:

“The private sector must take center stage in unlocking inclusive finance for agriculture. When financial institutions truly understand farmers, everyone wins.”

The training not only equipped financial professionals with knowledge but ignited a new mindset—a shift from seeing farmers as high-risk borrowers to recognizing them as investable entrepreneurs.

From Gaps to Growth: The Power of Partnerships

This capacity-building initiative demonstrates what can happen when public-private partnerships are intentional, strategic, and forward-thinking.

By working with programs like HortiNigeria, NABG continues to:

• Advocate for policies that enable agribusiness lending.

• Facilitate dialogue between financial institutions and value chain actors.

• Build the technical capacity of banks to understand horticulture value chain finance.

• Foster an environment where agribusiness can thrive beyond subsistence, toward true economic growth.

Redesigning the Financial Future of Agribusiness in Nigeria

The journey to transforming horticulture value chain finance in Nigeria is far from over—but real momentum is building.

With continued engagement from stakeholders, including:

• Banks

• Development partners

• Farmer organizations

• Agritech companies

• Government agencies

… we are redesigning Nigeria’s financial landscape for agribusiness.

✅ From policy to practice
✅ From gaps to growth
✅ From potential to productivity

This is the future we are building at NABG.
#NABG #HortiNigeria #AgribusinessFinance #HorticultureValueChain #FoodSystems #InclusiveFinance #NigeriaAgriculture #AgriLending #PolicyToPractice

DG NABG, Jafar Abubakar Umar in a handshake with the Minister of Agriculture and food security, Sen Abubakar Kyari during the event