The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen the generation, validation, exchange and analysis of agricultural data for improved decision-making across Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
The partnership is expected to improve the availability and quality of agricultural statistics while supporting evidence-based financing, policy formulation, programme implementation and investment decisions.
Speaking during the signing ceremony in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of NADF, Mohammed Ibrahim, described the agreement as the beginning of a strategic partnership focused on improving the production and utilisation of agricultural data.
Ibrahim said reliable statistics were critical to effective planning, agricultural development, programme implementation and the assessment of intervention outcomes.
According to him, the collaboration would provide NADF with credible information needed to make informed investment decisions and develop more effective programmes across the agricultural value chain.
He noted that although NADF was established through an Act of Parliament in 2022, the Fund had continued to build strategic partnerships to strengthen the implementation of its mandate.
He added that the agreement was particularly important as NADF expands its activities in agricultural financing, research, donor coordination and support for agricultural development at the sub-national level.
“Data is our chief enabler. We want every intervention and investment we make to be guided by credible evidence.
“Working with NBS will strengthen our ability to design programmes that respond to real needs and deliver measurable results,” he said.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of NBS, Adeyemi Adeniran, said the partnership reflected the commitment of both institutions to advancing agricultural development through stronger statistical systems and institutional collaboration.
Adeniran explained that the MoU would establish a framework for the exchange, validation and harmonisation of agricultural data, ensuring that policymakers, investors and other stakeholders have access to accurate and reliable information.
“Agriculture deserves better data, and together we intend to build it because reliable statistics remain the foundation of good governance, sound planning and effective investment,” he said.
He said improved data collaboration would strengthen the monitoring and evaluation of agricultural programmes, guide investment decisions and contribute to national food security by ensuring that policies and interventions were based on evidence.
The NBS chief, who also serves as the Statistician-General of the Federation, assured stakeholders that both institutions would maintain high standards of data governance and confidentiality throughout the implementation of the agreement.
He also commended NADF’s growing contribution to agricultural development and expressed optimism that the partnership would deliver meaningful benefits to farmers, investors, policymakers and other stakeholders.
Also speaking, Nasir Ingawa of the Partnership and Investor Relations Department of NADF, said the MoU formalised an existing working relationship between the two institutions.
He noted that the collaboration would further strengthen efforts to ensure that agricultural programmes, policies and investments are guided by credible, accurate and fit-for-purpose data.
The partnership is expected to contribute to the development of a stronger agricultural information system capable of supporting better planning, targeted investments and more effective interventions across Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
