The CARE International-Nigeria and other partners in agriculture and food systems sectors, have resolved to deepen and broaden collaboration as part of measures to tackle food insecurity in the continent.
They made the resolution yesterday in Abuja during a three-day stakeholders’ workshop themed, “Strengthening Coordination and Policy Influence in the Implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)”.
It was convened by CARE Nigeria in collaboration with the Community of Agricultural and Food Systems Non-State Actors (COANSA), ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) and the CAADP Non-State Actors Group, with support from GIZ.
Deputy Country Director of CARE International Nigeria, Jennifer Orgle, expressed optimism that individual country’s efforts at achieving food security in the continent, can be re-aligned to achieve better outputs through strategic collaborations.
Representative of the Chairman, House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, John Onyeokoro, said the lawmakers remains committed to tackling food insecurity through legislative action, improved funding and stronger oversight.
According to him, the Coordinated Agricultural Development Programme is designed to harmonise agricultural interventions nationwide by leveraging parliament’s roles in appropriation, lawmaking, oversight and constituency representation.
He also noted that inadequate funding had hindered the implementation of the National Multi-Sectoral Plan on Food and Nutrition, which recently ended, but expressed optimism that future frameworks would benefit from improved domestic resource mobilisation.
“The country’s recent budget trends show increased allocations to nutrition and food security, reflecting a shift toward sustainable, locally funded interventions. There is the need to reduce reliance on donor funding. Financial autonomy for local governments presents an opportunity for bottom-up financing of agriculture and nutrition initiatives,” Onyeokoro said.
Also, the Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at CARE International Nigeria, Nasser Mitchell Ngaro, said the workshop was organised to develop a roadmap for implementing the CAADP/Kampala Declaration in Nigeria.
According to him, the initiative, in collaboration with the partners aims to strengthen advocacy and ensure government commitments translate into tangible outcomes.
Ngaro identified key priorities for improving agricultural productivity, including access to land, finance, and improved inputs, as well as policies that support fair trade.
He stressed that building strong collaboration between government and non-state actors is essential to addressing challenges faced by farmers and achieving sustainable food security in Nigeria.
Chairperson of the Community of Agriculture Food System Non-State Actors, Rosemary Effiong, said stakeholders are working to bridge gaps between policy and implementation by simplifying policies for farmers and ensuring inclusiveness.
She said that the group comprises researchers, farmers, private sector players, and agro-processors, working collaboratively to support agricultural development.
Young noted that while previous phases of the CAADP suffered from fragmented implementation, the current phase under the Kampala Declaration seeks stronger collaboration to maximise impact and reduce duplication.
She, however, cautioned that certain government policies, such as food importation aimed at reducing prices, could negatively affect local farmers by making their products less competitive.
A representative of non-state actors, Chikwanji Chaufitamkawa from Malawi, emphasised the need to address fragmentation among stakeholders, noting that while non-state actors have played key roles in implementing food systems initiatives, lack of coordination has limited impact.
She said the adoption of the Kampala Declaration by the African Union and the Nigerian government provides an opportunity for a unified, systems-based approach to agriculture, nutrition, and trade.
According to her, aligning national policies and fostering collective action among governments, Parliament, and non-state actors will be critical to achieving food security and self-reliance across the continent.
Also speaking Coordinator of the Small-Scale Women Farmers Association in Nigeria, Olabisi Ogedengbe highlighted some of the challenges facing farmers including access to land high transportation costs and insecurity.
She urged the government to provide land and create an enabling environment for farmers to thrive in the country.
Other participants, who also spoke at the event called for a stronger coordination, increased funding and inclusive policies to address food insecurity and malnutrition across Africa.
They noted the importance of broader understanding of Nigeria’s and other countries’ commitments of the Kampala Declaration adopted by the African Union (AU), identify implementation gaps and define key advocacy priorities to guide policy engagement through 2026.
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