Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has urged investors to commit long-term capital to agriculture and infrastructure, identifying existing gaps in both sectors as opportunities to boost food security and create jobs.
Oyedele made the call at an investors’ forum in Bangkok, Thailand, where stakeholders explored ways to mobilise private financing for food systems and infrastructure development.
He said inadequate storage, processing, transportation and electricity infrastructure continued to limit agricultural productivity, raise business costs and contribute to post-harvest losses in Nigeria.
The minister noted that Africa accounts for about 60 per cent of the world’s remaining uncultivated arable land but continues to depend heavily on food imports, stressing the need for investment across agricultural value chains to unlock the continent’s production potential.
According to him, attracting long-term financing would require bankable projects, consistent policies and effective mechanisms for sharing investment risks.
He said the Federal Government would collaborate with development partners, including the World Bank Group, to strengthen risk-mitigation arrangements and improve investor confidence.
Oyedele reaffirmed the government’s commitment to predictable policies, legal certainty and deeper domestic capital markets, ruling out a return to subsidies or deficit monetisation.
He also urged stakeholders to measure investment initiatives by tangible outcomes, including completed deals, commercialised farms, jobs created and food delivered, rather than expressions of interest alone.
Earlier, Zainab Ahmed, Executive Director representing Angola, Nigeria and South Africa on the World Bank Board, called on governments and project sponsors to translate investment proposals into viable projects capable of attracting financing.
Ahmed said the forum would enable stakeholders to establish priorities, clarify funding requirements and agree on time-bound actions.
She added that the World Bank Group could support projects through advisory services, project preparation, guarantees and other financing instruments.
Ahmed stressed that investments should also create opportunities for local businesses, farmers, women and young people.
The discussions highlighted the need to channel private financing into practical projects that address infrastructure gaps, strengthen agricultural value chains and improve food availability.
