Agriculture sector boosts 4.39% growth in Q2 2026

Nigeria’s agricultural sector grew by 4.39 per cent in the second quarter of 2026 with crop production expanding by 3.66 per cent, the Federal Government has declared.

It attributed the growth to ongoing reforms and investments in the sector.

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, announced this in a statement on Friday to mark the 2026 World Food Day, celebrated annually on October 16.

Abdullahi, who said the figures were from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), noted that the sector had returned to a strong growth trajectory for the first time since 2021.

He said the development reflected the impact of the Federal Government’s interventions aimed at boosting food production, improving farmers’ productivity, reducing post-harvest losses and strengthening agricultural value chains.

The minister said the government was implementing measures to make agriculture more productive, resilient, competitive and attractive to investors.

According to him, the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) have helped smallholder farmers produce 2.5 million metric tonnes of staple foods over four farming seasons.

He added that Nigeria’s annual domestic wheat production had increased to approximately 420,000 metric tonnes from a previous baseline of 120,000 metric tonnes, representing a 3.5-fold increase. BuyMaps

Abdullahi also highlighted the commissioning of the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, featuring 2,000 tractors and implements, as part of efforts to reduce the burden of manual farming and attract more young people into agriculture.

Other interventions, he said, included soil mapping under the National Soil Health and Fertility Programme, promoting biofortified crops, and revitalising agricultural extension services through trained frontline agents and digital platforms.

He explained that the government was also tackling rising food prices through dry-season farming, investments in Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs), and the development of storage and cold-chain facilities.

He said the measures were expected to reduce post-harvest losses from 40 per cent to below 20 per cent. At the same time, the orderly release of food from the Strategic Food Reserve and a Guaranteed Minimum Price mechanism would further support food availability and market stability.

The Minister said the government was expanding irrigation, promoting climate-smart agriculture, improving access to affordable financing through the Bank of Agriculture, and strengthening agricultural insurance and pest surveillance.