The Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II, has described persistent policy inconsistency as a major obstacle to Nigeria’s economic and agricultural development.
Sanusi made the observation during a joint session of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), held on the sidelines of the Nigeria Economic Summit in Abuja.
The session, themed “Investing in Innovative Food Systems Solutions in Challenging Contexts,” examined strategies for improving food security and agricultural productivity across Africa.
Sanusi said Nigeria’s most pressing challenge was the lack of continuity in government policies and the failure of the civil service to preserve institutional memory, which undermines reforms across political transitions.
“The biggest problem I have seen with our country is the lack of policy continuity. Every time you have an election, it is as if everybody starts on a clean slate,” he said.
He explained that during his tenure as Central Bank Governor, a study of six agricultural value chains was initiated to boost lending and promote investment in local production. However, he lamented that well-intentioned reforms such as the tomato value chain project in Kano failed due to outdated laws and poor follow-up.
“We discovered 13 tomato varieties suitable for paste production, but outdated laws blocked their commercialisation. Before reforms could mature, the project was abandoned,” he stated.
Sanusi stressed the need to build strong agricultural value chains that attract private investment rather than relying solely on government funding.
“There is not enough money in government to fix every farmer’s challenge. What government can do is create confidence for private investment to thrive,” he added.
He warned that frequent policy reversals, such as the relaxation of food import restrictions, discourage investors and harm farmers.
“In trying to bring down food prices, we wiped out producers’ profits and created non-performing loans in banks. If we keep changing direction, we’ll never fix poverty or attract investment,” he said.
Sanusi urged the government to link agricultural policies to long-term development goals, noting that consistency was key to tackling poverty, ending insecurity, and building an inclusive economy.
“Fixing the value chain is the best way to deal with poverty in northern Nigeria. But we must ensure the next government does not start from stage one again,” he said.
Also speaking, Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa said agriculture remained Nigeria’s most reliable sector.
“In the last GDP report, oil contributed only 4.17 per cent while agriculture accounted for over 26 per cent. This tells you where our real strength lies as a nation,” he said.
He explained that Nasarawa had taken practical steps to demonstrate its commitment beyond policy statements.
“We identified 10,000 hectares for cultivation and started with 2,000. After the first harvest, we sold directly to Olam, and that experience showed us the viability of large-scale farming,” he said, adding that the state had since expanded operations and invested in irrigation and mechanisation.
He said Nasarawa was leveraging federal storage facilities in Lafia to reduce post-harvest losses and enhance food preservation.
“We want to show that government can be a real player in the agricultural chain, not just a regulator. Every state in Nigeria has agricultural potential; what we need is seriousness and policy stability to unlock it,” he said.
Similarly, Gov. Umar Radda of Katsina emphasised the need to reform Nigeria’s seed system.
“Nigeria cannot talk about agricultural progress without first fixing the seed system. What most of our farmers are planting today are grains, not real seeds,” he said.
He added that Katsina was prioritising local seed production to improve productivity and overcome the challenges of fragmented landholdings in the North.
“Because of our land tenure system, farmlands are scattered into small plots. The only way out is to combine improved seeds with modern technology and innovation,” he noted.
Radda echoed Sanusi’s concerns about policy inconsistency and called for stronger value addition through agro-processing.
“Our producers are struggling to break even because policy inconsistency discourages investors. We must strengthen the value chain through agro-processing zones to create jobs, raise incomes, and grow the economy,” he said.
The Vice President of Olam Nigeria, Mr Ade Adefeko, also announced the company’s plan to invest 45 million dollars in a soy crushing facility in Ekiti State, complementing existing operations in Kaduna and Nasarawa.
“We do not look at challenges; we look at opportunities. Olam’s investments reflect confidence in Nigeria’s agricultural potential, but government policies must encourage both domestic and foreign investors,” he said.
(NAN)