Nigeria’s agricultural sector recorded significant progress in the 2025 wet season, with increased crop production and a decline in the prices of major staple foods across the country.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday during the presentation of the 2025 Agriculture Performance Survey Report by the National Agricultural Extension and Liaison Services of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
The annual survey, conducted in collaboration with government agencies and development partners, revealed steady growth in the production of key staples such as rice, maize, sorghum, millet, cowpea, yam, and cassava—all showing improvements over 2024 levels.
Kyari described the development as a positive reflection of the government’s sustained investment in input support, mechanisation, and agricultural extension services.
He noted that the improvement in food supply had contributed to a nationwide drop in prices, easing pressure on households and food markets.
“The report confirms that we are on the right track. The significant drop in food prices across all zones reflects not just improved supply conditions but the cumulative impact of our policies in fertiliser distribution, mechanisation, and farmer education,” Kyari said.
He added that the APS remained one of the government’s most valuable tools for evidence-based planning and decision-making in the agricultural sector.
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However, he acknowledged that challenges persist, including uneven access to mechanisation and high post-harvest losses, particularly in the South-West and North-Central zones.
“Mechanisation coverage, though improving, remains uneven. Post-harvest losses continue to threaten food availability and farmers’ incomes. These are areas we are committed to addressing,” he assured.
The minister commended NAERLS and other research institutes for their collaborative work on the 2025 report, describing it as a benchmark for transparency in agricultural performance reporting.
Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Adamu Ahmed—represented by Prof. Sanusi Rafindadi—praised Nigerian farmers for their resilience despite climate and economic challenges. “Our task now is to make agriculture more adaptive, efficient, and data-driven,” he said.
NAERLS Executive Director, Prof. Yusuf Ahmad, also presented findings showing that the growth in agricultural output was driven by expanded cultivation, improved farming practices, and farmer resilience.
He noted that the study recorded a more than 50 per cent drop in the national prices of maize, rice, and sorghum, signalling improved food availability across all six geopolitical zones.
