- Egypt and Nigeria strengthen agricultural cooperation through joint projects, expertise exchange, and private sector engagement for food security.
- The partnership focuses on key areas such as irrigation, water management, and crop production to enhance Nigeria’s agricultural modernization efforts.
- Amid Africa’s deepening food crisis, the Egypt–Nigeria initiative aims to enhance productivity and resilience across regional food systems.
Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouk, has reaffirmed the government’s directive to enhance cooperation with Nigeria, focusing on the exchange of expertise and the implementation of joint agricultural projects. The initiative aims to promote sustainable agricultural development and contribute to achieving food security at the continental level, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture.
The announcement came during a meeting in Cairo between Minister Farouk and a high-level Nigerian delegation led by Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi. The meeting was also attended by Baboucarr Manneh, Director General of the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice). Discussions centred on expanding the scope of bilateral cooperation in the agricultural sector, with emphasis on technical collaboration, knowledge transfer, and private sector engagement.
The Egyptian minister outlined that cooperation between the two sides will cover several fields within the agricultural sector, including modern irrigation systems, water management, and the cultivation of strategic crops such as rice, cotton, and sugar beet. Farouk indicated that Egypt is prepared to provide and transfer technical expertise to support Nigeria’s agricultural modernization efforts.
As part of the cooperation framework, an Egyptian technical delegation composed of experts from the Agricultural Research Center will be sent to Nigeria to conduct a detailed review of the country’s agricultural situation. The team is expected to develop a roadmap for strengthening agricultural productivity, focusing on food security and the optimisation of production in key crop sectors.
The Nigerian delegation welcomed the initiative, expressing appreciation for Egypt’s willingness to provide technical support and dispatch agricultural experts. The team highlighted its interest in learning from the Egyptian experience, particularly in the areas of irrigation modernization, rationalizing water use, and improving crop yields. Both sides agreed on the importance of encouraging private sector participation in joint projects to support food security strategies in Egypt, Nigeria, and the wider African continent.
The agricultural cooperation comes amid mounting food security challenges across Africa. Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and its partners indicate that the prevalence of acute food insecurity has increased globally, affecting more than 295 million people in 53 countries in 2024, a rise of approximately 13.7 million from 2023.
It adds that in Africa, more than 307 million people, over 20% of the population, are estimated to face hunger in 2024. At the same time, over one billion Africans are reportedly unable to afford a healthy diet, highlighting the growing challenge of food access across the continent. According to the World Food Programme, the share of assessed populations experiencing acute food insecurity now stands at approximately 22.6 %.
In Nigeria specifically, it is reported that nearly 31 million Nigerians face acute food insecurity as of mid-2025, reflecting pressures from climate, economic, and security stressors. According to agricultural experts, joint initiatives such as the Egypt–Nigeria partnership can play a significant role in enhancing local production systems, promoting knowledge exchange, and improving the sustainability of regional food systems.
The present cooperation builds on prior announcements that Egyptian companies are active in Nigeria in sectors such as fertiliser production, seed development, and agribusiness, and that ties between the two nations are expanding beyond agriculture into trade, investment, and infrastructure. Nigeria and Egypt are also pursuing efforts to strengthen overall and economic relations, including through a joint investment council intended to identify and coordinate bilateral projects.
Mercy Fosoh