Kyari, NADF Call for Innovation-Led Agriculture

 

Africa's drive to transform agriculture must move beyond simply increasing research funding to building a robust innovation ecosystem that connects scientific discoveries with industry, investment and farmers, Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and the Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), Mohammed Ibrahim, have said.

The call was made during the High-Level Ministerial Dialogue on Sustainable Financing for Agricultural Research, Development and Innovation (AR4D), held at the 9th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW9) at the Abuja Continental Hotel.

The dialogue, jointly organised by the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), focused on the theme, "Financing Africa's Agricultural Future: Mobilizing Strategic Investments for Science, Innovation and Transformation."

Speaking during a high-level panel discussion attended by ministers, policymakers, researchers, development partners and private sector leaders from across Africa, Mohammed Ibrahim said the continent's greatest challenge is not merely the availability of funds but the absence of an innovation ecosystem capable of translating research into commercially viable solutions.

"Financing is not the major challenge. It's actually an ecosystem challenge," Ibrahim said, stressing that agricultural research must evolve beyond producing academic publications to generating innovations that attract investment, commercialization and widespread adoption.

He explained that sustainable agricultural transformation depends on a functional ecosystem built around three key pillars government institutions providing policies and strategic financing, research institutions generating knowledge and technologies, and industries converting scientific discoveries into products and services that meet market demand.

According to him, investment naturally follows innovations with clear economic value, urging African research institutions to align their work with the needs of farmers, agribusinesses and consumers.

"As much as research requires funding, the market also requires research. Financing flows wherever there are returns," he noted.

Ibrahim further highlighted NADF's innovative financing model, explaining that the Fund receives statutory budgetary allocations, designated levies and natural resource development contributions while also mobilising additional resources through investments and philanthropic partnerships.

He said the Fund deploys its resources through grants, debt financing and equity investments, with lending facilitated through participating financial institutions to expand access to agricultural financing.

On his part, Senator Abubakar Kyari described the establishment of NADF as a strategic intervention aimed at reversing decades of underinvestment in Nigeria's agricultural research system and improving the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers.

The minister recalled supporting the NADF Bill during his time in the National Assembly after observing the impact of dedicated intervention agencies in other sectors of the economy.

Despite agriculture contributing nearly one-quarter of Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product, Kyari lamented that the rural communities responsible for producing most of the nation's food have experienced little economic progress.

"Eighty-five percent of the food we consume comes from smallholder farmers, yet their living conditions have remained virtually unchanged. That shows there is a structural imbalance in the agricultural economy," he said.

He attributed declining agricultural productivity to limited access to improved seeds, inadequate financing, shrinking arable land, climate change and years of neglect of agricultural research institutions.

The minister revealed that many farmers have resorted to planting harvested grains instead of certified seeds due to affordability challenges, a practice that continues to reduce yields and farm productivity.

Kyari commended NADF for conducting a comprehensive baseline assessment of Nigeria's 16 agricultural research institutes and 17 colleges of agriculture, describing the exercise as a major step towards revitalising the country's agricultural research infrastructure.

The ministerial dialogue concluded with the adoption of the Abuja Clarion Call, a landmark declaration endorsed by more than 500 African leaders, urging governments to increase predictable domestic investment in agricultural research, establish sustainable agricultural development funds, strengthen public-private partnerships, expand blended financing mechanisms and deepen continental collaboration to accelerate technology commercialization, food security, climate resilience and inclusive economic growth across Africa.