Horticulture Drives Jobs, Incomes, and Food Security

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has highlighted Nigeria’s horticulture sector as a strategic tool for achieving food security, youth employment, and women’s empowerment provided the right investments, policies, and partnerships are in place.

Speaking at the HortiNigeria 2025 Learning Event in Ibadan, themed “Catalysing Sustainability and Inclusion through Stakeholder Engagement”, Kyari (represented by Director of Horticulture, Yerima Ubah) said the sector has shown “undeniable potential” in driving inclusive growth.

The HortiNigeria programme, funded by the Dutch government and implemented by partners including the International Fertiliser Development Centre, Wageningen University, and others, has delivered impressive results across Kaduna, Kano, Ogun, and Oyo States.

“We’ve seen a 93% increase in crop yields, a 205% rise in farmer incomes, and more than 76,000 farmers trained with youth and women participation surpassing targets,” the minister stated.

Other achievements include support for nearly 900 small horticulture businesses, €4.1 million in facilitated finance, and the creation of over 477 jobs, 70% taken up by youth. The programme also helped reduce post-harvest losses by 83%, piloted solar-powered irrigation systems, and distributed 23,000 plastic crates to improve tomato handling at Lagos’ Mile 12 Market.

Policy reform has also been a focus, with progress in seed systems, organic farming, and tomato value chains backed by new credit-risk guarantees for smallholder farmers.

Despite challenges such as input costs, insecurity, and climate change, Kyari affirmed that the sector’s potential remains strong. “The achievements of HortiNigeria prove that we can overcome these barriers through strong policy, innovation, and collaboration,” he said.

Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria, Bengt Van Loosdrecht, said Nigeria has all it takes to become a regional horticultural hub. “With the right conditions, Nigeria can move from potential to prosperity,” he said.

Stakeholders from Oyo and Ogun States also pledged continued support, describing horticulture as key to agribusiness growth, nutrition, and economic empowerment for families.

Programme Director Mohammed Salasi Idris stressed the need to scale beyond aid into structured agribusiness. “With targeted investment in climate smart practices and greenhouse technology, Nigeria can double its horticultural exports by 2030,” he said.

As demand for fresh produce grows, experts say horticulture offers a clear path to food security, trade expansion, and inclusive development for millions of Nigerians.