By Stella Odueme
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, marking 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, described reliable data as the foundation of effective agricultural development, saying the collaboration would enable the Fund to make better investment decisions and deliver more impactful interventions across the agricultural value chain.
He noted that although NADF was established by an Act of Parliament in 2022, it has continued to build strategic partnerships to strengthen the delivery of its mandate.
According to Ibrahim, 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,” he said.
In his remarks, the Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, said the agreement reflects the commitment of 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, giving policymakers, investors and development partners access to reliable information for decision-making.
According to Adeniran, reliable statistics remain the foundation of good governance, sound planning and effective investment, adding that the initiative would improve the monitoring of agricultural programmes, support investment decisions and contribute to national food security.
He also assured stakeholders that both organisations would uphold the highest standards of data governance and confidentiality throughout the implementation of the agreement, while commending NADF for its growing role in advancing agricultural development.
Also speaking, a representative of NADF’s Partnership and Investor Relations Department, Nasir Ingawa, described the MoU as the culmination of a productive working relationship between the two organisations.
He said the formal partnership would deepen collaboration and ensure that agricultural interventions are guided by credible and fit-for-purpose data.
The ceremony concluded with the formal signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by the leadership of both organisations after legal representatives confirmed that the document reflected the agreed terms.
