BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

The National Agricultural Farmers Network (NAFN) has called on President Bola Tinubu to personally attend the 2026 Annual National Agricultural Show and explain his administration’s agricultural policies, funding plans and interventions directly to farmers.

The network said the President’s presence would provide an opportunity for farmers across the country to raise concerns about production costs, access to financing, farm inputs, mechanisation and markets, while seeking clarity on government efforts to strengthen food security.

NAFN National Coordinator, Aishatu Ibrahim, made the appeal in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, ahead of the agricultural show scheduled for November 16 to 20, with the official opening ceremony slated for November 17.

The event, organised in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, will focus on the theme: “Repositioning Agriculture for National Prosperity: Linking Smallholder Farmers, Government and the Private Sector to Technology, Finance, Markets and Value Addition.”

Ibrahim described the gathering as a major opportunity for the Federal Government to engage directly with farmers, listen to their experiences and explain how its agricultural policies are being implemented across the country.

She argued that Tinubu’s attendance would recognise the contributions of farmers to national food security, employment generation and economic growth, while giving agricultural stakeholders a platform to discuss the challenges confronting the sector.

“We are calling on President Tinubu to seize this historic opportunity and personally attend the 2026 National Agricultural Show,” she said, stressing that the event was more than an exhibition because it brings together farmers and key players across Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.

According to Ibrahim, the President’s participation would allow discussions on critical issues such as food production, agricultural financing, access to improved seeds and fertilisers, irrigation, mechanisation, storage facilities, processing, market access and the adoption of modern farming technologies.

She also urged the Federal Government to formally recognise the annual show as Nigeria’s official National Agricultural Day, arguing that the existing platform could be used to celebrate farmers, showcase innovations, attract investments and evaluate progress in agricultural development.

Rather than establish another event, Ibrahim said the government should strengthen an existing gathering that already connects farmers with relevant institutions, policymakers and private-sector investors.

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She maintained that direct engagement with the President would enable farmers to communicate their production needs and practical experiences to the highest level of government, helping policymakers better understand the realities facing those responsible for food production.

The NAFN coordinator also called on state governors, members of the National Assembly, traditional rulers, development partners, financial institutions, private investors, researchers and commodity associations to participate in the event.

She said this year’s theme reflected the urgent need to build stronger partnerships between smallholder farmers, government agencies and private businesses to improve access to finance, technology, markets and value-addition facilities.

“The future of Nigerian agriculture must be built around an integrated value-chain approach that enables farmers to produce more, earn more and contribute more significantly to national economic growth,” Ibrahim said.

The five-day programme is expected to feature agricultural innovations and technologies from the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, alongside exhibitions of farm produce from smallholder and large-scale farmers.

Federal and state agriculture ministries, agricultural agencies, agro-allied companies, financial institutions and commodity associations are also expected to showcase their products, services and interventions.

A seminar featuring experts from academia, government, financial institutions and the farming community will examine the challenges and prospects of agriculture in Nigeria, providing an opportunity to discuss practical solutions for improving productivity and farmers’ incomes.

The network expressed optimism that the show would help connect farmers with the technology, investment and institutional support needed to expand production and improve livelihoods.

With farmers seeking greater access to finance, modern equipment, irrigation and reliable markets, the proposed presidential engagement could provide an important platform for discussing how agricultural policies can translate into practical benefits for producers and contribute to Nigeria’s food security goals.