The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has highlighted horticulture as a key driver of food security, youth employment, and women’s empowerment in Nigeria, provided the sector receives consistent policy support, adequate investment, and strong partnerships.
Kyari made this known on Wednesday during the Learning Event 2025 of the HortiNigeria programme in Ibadan, themed “Catalysing Sustainability and Inclusion through Stakeholder Engagement in Nigeria’s Horticulture Sector.” His remarks were delivered by the ministry’s Director of Horticulture, Yerima Ubah.
Funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, HortiNigeria is being implemented between 2021 and 2025 by the International Fertiliser Development Centre in collaboration with the East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation, the Royal Tropical Institute, and Wageningen University and Research. The programme has already delivered significant results in Kaduna, Kano, Ogun, and Oyo States.
According to the minister, HortiNigeria has helped boost crop yields by 93 per cent, increased farmer incomes by 205 per cent, and trained more than 76,000 farmers, with women and youth participation exceeding initial targets. “These outcomes confirm horticulture’s potential to improve productivity, empower women, and create dignified jobs for young people,” Kyari stated.
He added that nearly 900 horticulture-related micro, small, and medium enterprises have been supported under the programme. Beneficiaries received training in modern agricultural practices, financial literacy, and business management. In addition, more than €4.1 million in financing has been facilitated, while 477 new businesses and jobs have been created, 70 per cent of which were taken up by young people.
The programme has also achieved an 83 per cent reduction in post-harvest losses, supplied over 23,000 plastic crates to Mile 12 Market in Lagos to improve tomato handling, and piloted solar-powered irrigation systems to help farmers adapt to climate change. Policy reforms in seeds, tomato production, and organic agriculture have advanced, alongside new credit-risk guarantees for farmers.
“These achievements are worth celebrating, but the journey is far from over,” Kyari noted. “Challenges such as rising input costs, climate change, insecurity, and land disputes persist. However, the success of HortiNigeria demonstrates that with the right partnerships and enabling policies, these obstacles can be overcome.”
Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria, Bengt Van Loosdrecht, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s agricultural sector. He noted that the Netherlands, the world’s second-largest agricultural exporter, sees Nigeria’s growing population and demand for quality produce as opportunities for scaling up horticultural production. “Nigeria has both the resources and the consumer base to become a horticulture hub. We are ready to work with government to move horticulture from potential to prosperity,” he said.
Also speaking, Juliet Agu, Assistant Director of Bilateral Economic Cooperation at the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, stressed the importance of embedding horticulture into Nigeria’s long-term development agenda, describing it as a driver of jobs, nutrition, and trade.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Abosede Owoeye, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to agricultural innovation, while Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, represented by Kehinde Jokotoye, praised HortiNigeria for placing women and youth at the centre of its initiatives.
HortiNigeria’s Programme Director, Mohammed Salasi Idris, said the initiative was both a celebration of achievements and a roadmap for the future. Since 2021, it has supported over 70,000 farmers, strengthened market access, and built critical skills for small-scale producers. “Nigeria can double its horticultural exports by 2030 if we invest in innovation, climate-smart practices, and greenhouse technologies. Horticulture can become the engine room of agricultural transformation,” he said.
With proven success in reducing losses, raising incomes, and strengthening partnerships, stakeholders at the event agreed that horticulture offers Nigeria a viable path to food security, job creation, and sustainable economic growth.
