Food Security: Lawmakers decry cuts on agric funding

The joint session of the National Assembly members on Agricultural   Production, Services and Rural Development at the National Assembly have in one accord described the continuous cuts in the funding of agriculture as being possible to undermine government seriousness to emergency declaration on food security in the country.

The Lawmakers' position was taken during the 2026 budget defense by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security ( FMAFS) where the Minister of state, Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi acknowledged that the funding delayed for capital agricultural projects had negatively impacted on foods system development as prominent projects in the year 2025 could not be carried out.

According to the state minister " About 30% of the ministry's capital allocation approximately N18 billion has yet to be released, limiting support for farmers across the country"

For 2026, the agricultural sector is projected to receive about N1tri, with N262 billion earmarked for capital expenditure within the ministry.

The joint committee leaders have both raised concerns on the decline in the Agric budget for  2026 as they pointed on the obvious sharp drop in the allocations when compared to last year

Chairman, House Committee on Agricultural Production, Hon. Bendu Kawuji, noted the decline from N2.22tril in 2025 to N1.45tri in 2026.

Similarly, Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Saliu Mustapha, stressed that agriculture remains Nigeria’s strongest pathway to poverty reduction and job creation. He urged the federal government to ensure timely release of funds to stabilize the nation’s food system.

Lawmakers emphasized that the 2026 budget must be evidence-based, performance-driven, and aligned with national priorities to guarantee improved food supply, enhanced farmer livelihoods, and sustainable economic growth.