By Atiku Sarki, Abuja
The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen the generation, validation, sharing, and analysis of agricultural data to support evidence-based financing, policymaking, and investment in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
The agreement was signed on Thursday at the NADF headquarters in Abuja, according to a statement issued by the Fund.
The statement described the MoU as the beginning of a strategic partnership aimed at improving the quality and use of agricultural statistics for planning, programme implementation, and impact assessment.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NADF, Mohammed A. Ibrahim, said reliable data is the foundation of effective agricultural development.
He noted that the partnership would enable the Fund to make informed investment decisions and deliver more impactful interventions across Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
Ibrahim said that although NADF was established by an Act of Parliament in 2022, it has continued to build strategic partnerships to enhance the delivery of its mandate.
He explained that the collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics comes at a critical time as the Fund expands its support for agricultural financing, research, donor coordination, and sub-national agricultural development.
“Data is our chief enabler. We want every intervention and every investment we make to be guided by credible evidence.
“Working with the National Bureau of Statistics will strengthen our ability to design programmes that respond to real needs and deliver measurable results,” Ibrahim said.
In his remarks, the Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of NBS, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, described the agreement as a practical commitment by both institutions to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural sector through improved statistics and closer institutional collaboration.
He said the partnership would establish a common framework for agricultural data exchange, validation, and harmonisation, ensuring that policymakers and investors have access to reliable information.
“Agriculture deserves better data, and together we intend to build it. Reliable statistics remain the foundation of good governance, sound planning and effective investment,” Adeniran said.
He added that the collaboration would improve monitoring of agricultural programmes, support investment decisions, and contribute to national food security by ensuring that critical decisions are based on evidence rather than assumptions.
The Statistician-General also assured stakeholders that both organisations would uphold the highest standards of data governance and confidentiality throughout the implementation of the agreement.
He commended NADF for its growing role in agricultural development and expressed confidence that the partnership would benefit farmers, policymakers, and investors.
Also speaking, a representative of NADF’s Partnership and Investor Relations Department, Nasir Ingawa, described the signing of the MoU as the culmination of a productive relationship between the two organisations.
He said the formal partnership would deepen collaboration and ensure that agricultural interventions are supported by credible, fit-for-purpose data.
The ceremony concluded with the formal signing of the Memorandum of Understanding after legal representatives of both organisations confirmed that the document reflected the agreed terms.
