Agro-Food Value Chain Key to Nigeria’s Food Security and Sustainable Development – Experts at AE-FUNAI Conference

Experts at the two-day international conference organized by the Faculty of Agriculture, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State (AE-FUNAI) have highlighted the agro-food value chain as a critical driver of Nigeria’s food security and sustainable development.

The conference, themed “Agro-Food Value Chain Management in Nigeria: Pathway to Resilient Food System and Sustainable Development”, brought together academics, policymakers, industrialists, and large-scale farmers.

Enhancing Nigeria’s Food System

With Nigeria facing growing food insecurity, climate challenges, and market inefficiencies, speakers stressed that improving linkages across production, processing, distribution, and consumption is essential. Integrated value chain approaches, they noted, can increase productivity, reduce postharvest losses, boost competitiveness, and create a more resilient and inclusive agricultural sector capable of supporting long-term national development.

Key Insights from the Conference

Professor Jude Mbanasor, Chairman of the occasion and President of the Agricultural Society of Nigeria (ASN), emphasized the need to renew Nigeria’s agro-food value chains to strengthen the nation’s food system. He noted that fragmented agricultural interventions are no longer sufficient to meet the demands of a growing population. Strengthening linkages across production, processing, logistics, and markets, he said, is vital to reduce postharvest losses, increase farmer incomes, attract investment, and establish Nigeria as a regional agricultural powerhouse.

Professor Robert Onyeneke, CHAIN Project Coordinator and Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, urged urgent reforms in Africa’s agro-food value chains. He highlighted that weak connections between production and markets undermine livelihoods, food security, and economic growth, and stressed that AE-FUNAI is addressing these challenges through applied research, community engagement, and capacity-building initiatives.

Onyeneke also showcased the CHAIN Project, which builds the analytical and technical capacity of African researchers to design and implement value chain improvements. He emphasized that programmes in Agricultural Economics, Extension, Agribusiness, Crop Science, Soil Science, Animal Science, and Fisheries equip graduates with practical problem-solving skills for the 21st-century agricultural economy.

Spotlight on the Cassava-Garri Value Chain

Professor Eric Eboh, lead paper presenter, highlighted the cassava-garri sector as a model for value chain development. He noted that strategically designed interventions combining policy support, market development, and coordinated value chain linkages can transform cassava into a major driver of rural prosperity, job creation, and economic growth.

Eboh emphasized that strengthening markets for garri, Nigeria’s most widely consumed cassava product, is critical for stimulating production, improving postharvest handling, processing, and packaging. He also advocated a segment-specific approach, ensuring that interventions at each stage of the chain are harmonized and reinforce one another for long-term sustainability. Experiences from Delta State, he noted, can inform similar interventions across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Conclusion

The AE-FUNAI conference underscored that agricultural value chain development is central to Nigeria’s food security, rural livelihoods, and sustainable development. Experts called for well-coordinated, evidence-based, and context-sensitive strategies to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

The gathering served as a platform for knowledge exchange, policy dialogue, and collaboration among academics, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, highlighting the pivotal role of agro-food value chains in shaping a resilient and prosperous food system for Nigeria.