06/10/2026
FG, States, Germany Unite in Borno to Domesticate Africa’s New 10-Year Agrifood Blueprint
The Federal Government, state governments and international development partners, including Germany, have converged in Maiduguri, Borno State, to advance the domestication and implementation of the CAADP Kampala Declaration and Strategy and Action Plan 2026–2035, a new 10-year framework aimed at transforming Africa’s agrifood systems.
The stakeholders, who gathered at the Annual Community of Practice (CoP) Meeting at the Multi Purpose Hall Government House in Maiduguri emphasized the need for stronger coordination between federal and state governments to translate the continental agricultural framework into practical programmes that will improve food production, strengthen livelihoods and enhance food security across Nigeria.
Declaring the meeting open on behalf of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, Borno State Deputy Governor, Dr Umar Usman Kadafur, said agriculture remains central to food security, employment, economic growth and long-term stability.
Governor Zulum noted that Africa possesses enormous agricultural potential, including vast cultivable land, diverse ecological zones and a youthful population, but continues to face serious food-security challenges.
He stressed that the success of the Kampala
Declaration must be measured not by the number of policy documents produced, but by tangible improvements in the lives of farmers.
According to him, farmers require improved seeds, irrigation, mechanisation, technical knowledge, affordable finance, storage facilities, processing opportunities and reliable markets to transform agriculture from subsistence activity into a viable economic enterprise.
The Governor cited the experiences of countries such as Vietnam, the Netherlands and Brazil, where investment in irrigation, research, technology, infrastructure, farmer training and market linkages has significantly improved agricultural productivity.
He said the Kampala Declaration aligns with the agricultural priorities of President Bola Ahmed
Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly the Federal Government’s focus on food security, mechanisation, irrigation, agricultural value-chain development and reducing dependence on food imports.
Zulum also commended the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, for his efforts toward strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural sector and urged stakeholders to move beyond emergency food interventions towards building resilient agricultural systems capable of producing food, creating jobs and protecting communities from future shocks.
The Governor said the agricultural agenda has particular significance for Borno, where years of insurgency disrupted farming activities, livelihoods, markets and access to agricultural land.
He explained that rebuilding Borno must therefore go beyond reconstruction of physical infrastructure to include the restoration of livelihoods and economic independence.
Zulum highlighted the state’s agricultural potential in rice, wheat, livestock, fisheries, irrigation and dry-season farming, while pointing to ongoing investments in irrigation, mechanisation and agricultural land development, including the solar-powered irrigation project in Baga.
He said productive livelihoods would be critical to consolidating peace and recovery in communities affected by conflict.
Earlier, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, emphasized the importance of coordinated planning and implementation between the Federal Government and the states, stressing that the success of the new agricultural framework depends on effective collaboration and locally relevant action.
The Kampala Declaration provides a 10-year continental framework for transforming agrifood systems, with ambitious targets including a 45 per cent increase in agrifood output and a 50 per cent reduction in post-harvest losses by 2035, alongside increased investment and stronger intra-African agricultural trade.
The meeting also featured commitments from international development partners. The German development cooperation agency GIZ pledged technical support to help align state-level agricultural plans with the new CAADP framework and strengthen implementation capacity.
Governor Zulum called for sustained collaboration among governments, development partners, financial institutions, research institutions, private investors and farmers’ organisations, particularly in the areas of water, productivity, value addition, finance, markets and resilience.
He urged participants to ensure that the outcome of the meeting produces clear and actionable commitments that will directly benefit farmers and agricultural communities.
He said the implementation of the Kampala Declaration should transform policy into production, production into prosperity, and prosperity into lasting peace, before formally declaring the stakeholders’ meeting open.
The Maiduguri gathering which draw all the 37 State’s Commissioners of Agriculture is expected to contribute to Nigeria’s broader efforts to domesticate the continental agricultural strategy and establish practical state-level actions for achieving the CAADP 2026–2035 targets.