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The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen agricultural data generation, validation, sharing and analysis in a move aimed at promoting evidence-based financing, policymaking and investment across Nigeria's agricultural sector.
The agreement, signed on Thursday at the NADF headquarters in Abuja, establishes a strategic partnership between the two institutions to improve the quality, accessibility and application of agricultural statistics for planning, programme implementation and impact assessment.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NADF, Mohammed A. Ibrahim, described reliable data as the backbone of sustainable agricultural development, stressing that the collaboration would enable the Fund to make more informed investment decisions and deliver targeted interventions across the agricultural value chain.
Ibrahim noted that although NADF was established by an Act of Parliament in 2022, the organisation has continued to forge strategic partnerships to strengthen the implementation of its mandate.
He explained that the collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics comes at a critical period as the Fund expands its role in agricultural financing, research, donor coordination and sub-national agricultural development.
"Data is our chief enabler. We want every intervention and every investment we make to be guided by credible evidence. Working with the National Bureau of Statistics will strengthen our ability to design programmes that respond to real needs and deliver measurable results," Ibrahim said.
In his remarks, the Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of NBS, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, described the agreement as a major step towards strengthening Nigeria's agricultural sector through improved statistics and stronger institutional collaboration.
He said the partnership would establish a unified framework for agricultural data exchange, validation and harmonisation, providing policymakers, development partners and investors with reliable information for informed decision-making.
"Agriculture deserves better data, and together we intend to build it. Reliable statistics remain the foundation of good governance, sound planning and effective investment," Adeniran stated.
According to him, the partnership will enhance the monitoring and evaluation of agricultural programmes, support investment planning and contribute to national food security by ensuring that policy decisions are driven by credible evidence rather than assumptions.
Adeniran also assured stakeholders that both organisations would uphold the highest standards of data governance, integrity and confidentiality throughout the implementation of the agreement.
He commended NADF for its expanding role in agricultural development and expressed confidence that the collaboration would deliver lasting benefits for farmers, investors and policymakers.
Also speaking, a representative of NADF's Partnership and Investor Relations Department, Nasir Ingawa, described the signing of the MoU as the culmination of an already productive relationship between the two institutions.
He noted that formalising the partnership would deepen collaboration and ensure that agricultural programmes and investments are backed by credible, fit-for-purpose data.
The ceremony concluded with the formal signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by the leadership of both organisations after legal representatives confirmed that the document accurately reflected the agreed terms, marking the beginning of a new phase of collaboration aimed at strengthening data-driven agricultural transformation in Nigeria.
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