The European Union and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group have unveiled new policy frameworks aimed at revitalising agricultural production, strengthening food security, and improving farmers’ incomes, signalling a renewed push to shield the sector from global economic and climate-related shocks.
In Europe, the renewed focus follows an extraordinary meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers held on January 7, where the European Commission elevated food security to a core pillar of the bloc’s broader security and sovereignty agenda. Faced with volatile global markets, climate pressures, and persistently high input costs, the Commission announced a combination of financial support and regulatory safeguards designed to stabilise farm incomes while sustaining large-scale agricultural production.
Central to the EU’s strategy is the protection of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget, including a proposed National and Regional Partnership Fund of €293.7 billion to ensure predictable income support and long-term investment capacity for farmers across member states. The Commission also doubled its crisis reserve through a new €6.3 billion Unity Safety Net to protect farmers from natural disasters, climate shocks, and animal disease outbreaks.
To address rising production costs, Brussels proposed temporary tariff reductions on key fertiliser inputs such as ammonia and urea, with the aim of easing costs and improving availability. Member states will also be allowed to increase rural development spending under new National and Regional Partnership Plans, while a semi-automatic safeguard mechanism will enable the EU to respond quickly to import surges that threaten domestic producers. An implementation dialogue scheduled for the first quarter of 2026 will assess the cumulative impact of environmental regulations on farmers.
EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen, said agriculture remains central to Europe’s strategic autonomy, stressing that income support for farmers would remain protected under future budgets. He explained that beyond a minimum of €300 billion earmarked for farmers, at least 10 per cent of each National and Regional Partnership Plan would be allocated to rural development, potentially rising to nearly €63 billion when catalyst loans are included. Additional funding is also expected from the European Competitiveness Fund and a €40 billion research programme covering biotechnology, the bioeconomy, health, and agriculture.
On fertiliser policy, EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maroš Šefčovič, warned that input costs remain unsustainably high, with fertiliser prices still about 60 per cent higher than in 2020. He said the Commission would propose suspending remaining tariffs on key fertilisers, with safeguards to ensure the benefits reach farmers directly.
In Nigeria, a similar sense of urgency emerged at the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit, where policymakers and business leaders positioned agriculture and agribusiness as critical drivers of industrialisation, competitiveness and job creation. The summit concluded with a renewed mandate to build a prosperous and inclusive economy by 2030, anchored on a shift from consumption-led growth to production-based development.
The Nigerian Economic Summit Group framework prioritises infrastructure, innovation, and regional integration, with a strong emphasis on developing agricultural value chains rather than exporting raw commodities. Participants highlighted the need for policy coherence and disciplined execution to end frequent reversals that have historically constrained agricultural growth.
Digital solutions, improved access to finance and targeted reforms were identified as key to unlocking agribusiness potential, particularly for smallholder farmers and MSMEs operating along the agricultural value chain. To ensure reforms translate into measurable outcomes, the NESG called on federal and state governments to deepen decentralisation, empower local governments and strengthen accountability mechanisms for agricultural spending.
The summit also advocated a decisive shift toward value-added processing and agro-industrial development, proposing the expansion of a Citizen Delivery Tracker to monitor government performance on agricultural commitments. Participants further stressed the need to integrate socio-economic interventions with security efforts to protect farming communities and address regional disparities.
Together, the EU and Nigerian initiatives reflect a broader global trend toward more interventionist agricultural policies, as governments seek to protect food systems, support farmers’ incomes and strengthen economic resilience amid rising uncertainty.
