The Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), the Community of Agriculture Non-State Actors (COANSA), and ActionAid Nigeria have raised concerns over the significant decline in budget allocation for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
The 2025 budget proposal slashes funding by 36.19%, from N996.901 billion in 2024 to N636.08 billion.
Speaking in Abuja, SWOFON President, Fatimah Gumi, criticized the federal government for failing to meet the 10% funding target set by the Malabo Declaration. She noted that the ministry’s share of the total budget has dropped from 2.84% in 2024 to a mere 1.28% in 2025. Even when including allocations to the Federal Ministry of Livestock, the total agriculture sector budget stands at just N647.88 billion—only 1.3% of the federal budget.
Gumi further highlighted that the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) received N132.325 billion in the 2025 proposal, with 99.61% earmarked for capital projects, 0.38% for overhead, and only 0.01% for personnel costs.
COANSA Chairperson, Rosemary Effiong, urged the government to prioritize increased funding for agriculture, emphasizing the importance of aligning budget planning with the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP). She noted that only 34% of the proposed projects align with NATIP, underscoring the need for better sectoral planning.
Effiong called for an increase in NADF’s allocation, stressing its vital role in achieving food security and supporting Nigeria’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger). She emphasized that a stronger plan-budget link would enhance the ministry’s capacity to coordinate agricultural initiatives and address food and nutrition security challenges.
The groups warned that inadequate funding could hinder Nigeria’s agricultural development and called on the government to reconsider its budgetary priorities.
, the Community of Agriculture Non-State Actors (COANSA)){kind=link}