Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi
The Federal Government says it will triple Nigeria’s yam yield from 10 to 30 metric tonnes per hectare in a bid to close a national supply shortfall of more than 50 million metric tonnes.
The plan was announced at the National Yam Advocacy Summit in Abuja, organised by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the initiative is part of the government’s Ramping Up programme, which focuses on expanding farmland, increasing yields, and cutting post-harvest losses from 40% to 25% by 2027.
“This shortfall underscores both the untapped potential of the sector and the urgent need to modernise the yam value chain,” he said.
Nigeria currently produces about 67.2 million metric tonnes of yam annually, accounting for roughly 67% of global output, but productivity remains low at farm level.
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Mr Abdullahi said the programme would use mechanisation, improved seed systems, cluster farming and better market access. Yam has been classified as a Tier-1 staple crop, reflecting its importance to food security, income and national growth.
He added that improving processing, storage and export standards could move Nigeria from being the world’s largest producer to a leading exporter of value-added yam products.
The minister said agriculture remains a top priority under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that a state of emergency on food security was declared in 2023.
Officials from research institutions, development partners, seed regulators and farmers’ groups attended the summit.
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