Stakeholders brainstorm on food security, chart way forward

One Acre Fund Nigeria on Thursday hosted a national stakeholders’ dialogue on food security. It was aimed at addressing critical challenges in Nigeria’s agricultural sector and driving collaborative solutions for a more food-secure future. The dialogue, themed “Achieving Food Security in Nigeria: Bridging the Gap,” brought together key actors across the agricultural value chain, including […]

One Acre Fund Nigeria on Thursday hosted a national stakeholders’ dialogue on food security.

It was aimed at addressing critical challenges in Nigeria’s agricultural sector and driving collaborative solutions for a more food-secure future.

The dialogue, themed “Achieving Food Security in Nigeria: Bridging the Gap,” brought together key actors across the agricultural value chain, including government agencies, private sector leaders, development organizations, and civil society representatives.

Speaking at the event, Country Director, One Acre Fund Nigeria, Adetola Adegbite, said with bold leadership, strong partnerships, and targeted investments, Nigeria can surmount its food security challenges.

She said: “Nigeria stands at a critical juncture. We are a nation of over 200 million people, with smallholder farmers producing nearly 80% of our food supply. Yet, paradoxically, we face serious food security challenges. Over 40% of our population lives below the poverty line, and nearly 20% of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition (World Bank, 2020).

“These statistics are not just numbers—they represent millions of families struggling to feed their children, farmers battling unpredictable weather, and communities losing their livelihoods to climate change and economic instability. The challenges before us are daunting, but not insurmountable. With bold leadership, strong partnerships, and targeted investments, we can change this trajectory.”

Dr Milindi Sibomana, Chief Agriculture Officer, One Acre Fund Rwanda, said food security can be achieved by focusing on smallholder farmers.

“Focusing more on the smallholder farmers would help achieve food security in Nigeria, because they are the ones who are producing the majority of the food we need and they are the ones who are suffering from one of the shots.

“So, we can provide them with the technologies and advisory services at the same time, it will help them to increase their production and subsequently we will get the food security that we need,” he said.

Emmanuel Gbangboye, Field Operations Lead, One Acre Fund, said the key to food security is by properly supporting the farmers.

He said: “One of the major challenges as of today would be the issue of security because there are lots of farmers that have been displaced from their fields and they have not been able to go back to their farms. Some, because of insecurity, while for others it could be that it is no longer profitable for them.

On the way forward, he said: “The first thing is to get people back to farm and then to see that farming can also be interesting, it doesn’t have to be the way we did it many years ago.

“Providing support so that they are able to be productive is key. What support do farmers need? I would say access to credit, quality input, and knowledge.

“Knowledge is something that people don’t actually pay attention to but even if farmers have credit and access to input, and they do not have technical know-how to be able to cultivate, they won’t still get good yield.”

Daily Trust reports that since its 2018 launch in Nigeria, One Acre Fund has supported thousands of Nigerian farmers, leading to improved crop yields, higher household incomes, and more resilient rural food systems.