NADF, NBS sign MoU to strengthen agricultural data for evidence-based financing

The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at improving 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 at the NADF headquarters in Abuja, marking the beginning of a strategic partnership designed to strengthen 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 Ibrahim, described reliable data as the foundation of effective agricultural development, saying the partnership would enable the Fund to make better-informed investment decisions and deliver more impactful interventions across the country’s agricultural value chain.

He noted that although NADF was established by an Act of Parliament in 2022, the fund has continued to build strategic partnerships that will enhance the delivery of its mandate.

According to him, 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, said the agreement represents a practical commitment by both institutions to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural sector through better statistics and closer institutional collaboration.

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He explained that the partnership would create 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 partnership would improve monitoring of agricultural programmes, support investment decisions and contribute to national food security by ensuring that critical decisions are driven by evidence rather than assumptions.

The Statistician-General also assured stakeholders that both organisations would maintain 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 deliver tangible benefits for 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 and fit-for-purpose data.

The ceremony ended 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.