Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has called for stronger financial and technical support for the country’s rice sector to enhance food security, increase local production and reduce dependence on imports.
Kyari made the appeal during the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable held in Accra, Ghana, from June 2 rd to 3rd 2026. The event brought together policymakers, development partners, financial institutions, investors and key stakeholders across the region to explore investment opportunities in the rice value chain.
Speaking at the forum, the Minister emphasized that increased investment in rice production, processing, irrigation, mechanization, storage infrastructure and value addition is critical to unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s rice industry. He noted that strategic investments would not only boost productivity but also create jobs, improve farmers’ incomes and strengthen national food security.
Kyari reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the ECOWAS Regional Rice Roadmap (2025–2035), which aims to achieve rice self-sufficiency across West Africa by 2035. According to him, achieving the ambitious target will require stronger collaboration among governments, development finance institutions, private investors and international partners.
The Minister highlighted Nigeria’s progress in expanding domestic rice production in recent years but acknowledged that challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, limited access to finance, climate change impacts and post-harvest losses continue to constrain growth within the sector.
He urged development partners, including multilateral financial institutions to support investment initiatives that would accelerate the transformation of the rice value chain and enhance the competitiveness of locally produced rice.
The roundtable provided participating countries with an opportunity to present national rice investment plans, engage potential investors and identify strategies for mobilizing resources to bridge the region’s rice supply gap.
At the end of the meeting, stakeholders expressed optimism about the future of rice production in West Africa, following significant investment commitments aimed at supporting the implementation of regional and national rice development programmes.
Kyari expressed confidence that sustained investment, supportive policies and regional cooperation would position Nigeria and other West African countries to achieve greater food security, reduce import dependence and build resilient agricultural economies.
