Civil society groups, including the Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), the Community of Agriculture Non-State Actors (COANSA), and ActionAid Nigeria, have expressed dismay over the insufficient allocation to the agriculture sector in the 2025 budget proposal.

At a press conference in Abuja, the groups noted that the allocation to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security declined by 36.19% from N996.901 billion in 2024 to N636.08 billion in the 2025 budget proposal.

They also observed that the share of the total federal budget allocated to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has sharply declined from 2.84% in 2024 to a mere 1.28% in the 2025 proposed budget.

The groups commended the President for proposing an additional budget of N1.5 trillion for the recapitalization of the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) but insisted that it be completed within the first quarter of 2025, as committed, and that the full N1.5 trillion be promptly released to guarantee its successful implementation.

They recommended that the budget allocation to the FMAFS be increased, and that planning for the sector be anchored on the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP).

The groups also called for increased allocation to the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and timely releases to support farmers.

They further recommended that the federal ministry of livestock be adequately funded and that projects provided for in the budget be adequately conceptualized and framed to deliver on the overall objective of the Ministry.