Nigeria has the potential to become a major rice exporter across Africa if it addresses persistent production challenges, improves agricultural financing and strengthens policy coordination, according to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).

NGF Director-General Dr Abdulateef Shittu made the remarks in Abuja during the launch of the Northwest Rice Diagnostic Report on November 4, 2026.

He said Nigeria had the human, financial and natural resources needed to achieve food sovereignty and become a net rice exporter, but warned that policy inconsistencies, inadequate financing, low farm productivity and unreliable agricultural data continued to undermine the sector.

The scale of the challenge is reflected in the country’s supply gap. Nigeria consumes approximately 8.6 million metric tonnes of rice annually but produces only 3.3 million tonnes domestically. Consumption is projected to rise to 9.1 million tonnes next year.

Shittu said the country could reduce its dependence on imported rice through coordinated government policies, sustained support for farmers and stronger investment across the agricultural value chain.

He also pointed to opportunities to supply regional African markets and potentially parts of Europe if Nigeria can build a competitive domestic industry.

NGF targets policy and agricultural data challenges

Shittu identified inconsistent government policies and weak agricultural data systems as major obstacles to expanding domestic rice production.

Through its Rice Help Desks, the NGF has spent the past year working to address challenges involving public financing, budget allocations, field productivity and agricultural data collection.

The forum has also established a specialised data mining and harvesting department and urged all 36 states to develop functional State Bureaux of Statistics to improve the consistency of national agricultural data.

In addition, the NGF has entered into an institutional partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan and established an NGF Academy and Leadership Centre to strengthen governance capacity.

Shittu emphasised that reliable data is essential for effective agricultural planning and ensuring that government interventions reach the intended beneficiaries.

Bank of Agriculture expands support for farmers

The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) is also scaling up financing and mechanisation support to improve rice production.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Ayodeji Oludare Sotinrin said the bank financed 25 aggregators during the previous wet season, facilitating input credit for more than 500,000 farmers.

It plans to expand the programme to at least 700,000 farmers in the current farming cycle.

Sotinrin said the bank had shifted from direct cash disbursements to structured input financing following challenges with loan recovery. Under the new approach, farmers receive essential agricultural inputs rather than cash that could be diverted from farming activities.

The bank is also planning to introduce guaranteed minimum prices for rice and other staple crops to protect farmers against market volatility.

To support irrigation-based production, BOA is developing financing arrangements around 15 dams in Kano State and other irrigation networks, with the aim of supporting year-round cultivation.
Mechanisation programme targets 2.4 million hectares
Mechanisation is another priority in the bank’s strategy.

Sotinrin announced plans to add 2,000 tractors and 14,000 agricultural implements to the bank’s fleet, following an initial rollout of 2,000 tractors and 10,000 implements.

The equipment will be deployed through specialised mechanisation service providers and is expected to support cultivation across approximately 2.4 million hectares annually.

Improved access to machinery could help farmers expand cultivated areas, reduce labour constraints and improve production efficiency.

Nigeria’s rice imports highlight economic opportunity

Representing the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Phillip Obosi said a stable and supportive policy environment would be essential to building an internationally competitive rice industry.

Citing United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) data, he noted that Nigeria’s projected rice imports of 2.9 million metric tonnes in 2026, valued at approximately $1.4 billion, represented a substantial outflow of foreign exchange.

He urged federal and state governments to translate the diagnostic report’s recommendations into budget commitments and practical programmes supporting smallholder farmers, input suppliers and mechanisation providers.

Processors call for better inputs and rural security

The Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN) also highlighted structural challenges affecting commercial rice milling.

Its Director-General, Dr Andy Ekwelem, identified poor farmer identification, inaccurate production data, adulterated agricultural inputs, weak extension services and rural insecurity as major constraints.

He called for verified farmer registers, certified seeds and fertilisers, soil testing and improved security along important agricultural corridors, particularly in Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto states.

Ekwelem also urged authorities to address rising energy costs and operational expenses facing domestic millers, warning that local processors struggle to compete with imported rice benefiting from long-established government subsidies abroad.

Agriculture commissioners from Kaduna and Kebbi states further called for reliable data systems, price stabilisation measures and stronger market protections. Kaduna’s commissioner, Murtala Dabo, advocated guaranteed prices and strategic grain reserves, while Kebbi’s commissioner, Shehu Muazu, called for harmonised agricultural data collection across federal and state agencies.

Closing the production gap is key to export ambitions

Nigeria’s ambition to become a regional rice export hub will depend on its ability to close the gap between domestic production and consumption.

The proposals outlined at the NGF report launch point to several priorities: reliable agricultural financing, improved seeds and fertilisers, irrigation, mechanisation, better data, rural security and consistent government policies.

Expanding production will also need to be matched by competitive processing, affordable energy and dependable market access.

If these constraints are addressed, Nigeria could reduce its reliance on imported rice while building the production capacity needed to compete in regional African markets.