FG launches policy dialogue on digital farmers’ registry

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Heifer International, has launched the Policy Dialogue Initiative for the National Digital Farmer Registry (NDFR) — a transformative move to digitize and harmonize Nigeria’s fragmented farmer data systems.

Unveiled in Abuja, the NDFR seeks to consolidate Nigeria’s agricultural data landscape by establishing a unified, inclusive, and geo-referenced database of Nigerian farmers. The platform is designed to capture disaggregated data and link farmers’ profiles to their National Identification Numbers (NINs), ensuring targeted, transparent, and traceable interventions across the sector.

According to Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, the NDFR goes beyond data collection — it is “a strategic tool for inclusion and measurable impact,” key to unlocking coordinated support, fair access to finance, and improved agricultural services. Complementary platforms such as the National Electronic Extension Platform (NEEP) and National Agricultural Data Management and Information System (NADMIS) are being integrated to centralize and digitize sectoral planning.

IFAD Country Director, Mrs. Dede Ekoue, commended Nigeria’s leadership, citing the NDFR as a result of multiyear collaboration through policy dialogues, digital ecosystem assessments, and international cooperation. She also recognized development partners including FAO, AfDB, GIZ, EU, PropCom+, JICA, UN agencies, and technical contributors like the Tony Blair Institute, Digital Green, and PXD.

Speaking for Heifer International, Country Director Dr. Lekan Tobe emphasized the registry’s importance as “the backbone of Nigeria’s agricultural transformation.” He highlighted how a digital database enhances access to precision agriculture, mechanization, and financing, while addressing systemic issues like data fragmentation and rural digital illiteracy.

As part of the rollout, institutions such as LAPO Microfinance, VCDP, JICA, and others were acknowledged for contributing to the national data-gathering process. Stakeholders were also encouraged to complete the ongoing farmer database assessment survey.

The NDFR is poised to catalyze the digital transformation of Nigeria’s food systems, improve coordination, and enhance service delivery to farming communities, especially those in underserved rural regions.
Source- Tribune Online

Expert Review for Agri-Food Stakeholders
The launch of the National Digital Farmer Registry (NDFR) represents a landmark stride in the digitalization of Nigeria’s agriculture sector and is expected to significantly strengthen the architecture for evidence-based policymaking, targeted input distribution, financial inclusion, and agribusiness coordination.

1. Enabler of Precision Interventions:
   For decades, agricultural policies and programs have been hampered by unreliable farmer data, leading to widespread inefficiencies, exclusion, and corruption in subsidy programs and development initiatives. The NDFR introduces traceable, individualised farmer profiling, unlocking opportunities for personalized extension services, insurance access, credit scoring, and mechanization support.
2. Boost for Agri-Finance and Risk Management:
   Financial institutions and agribusinesses have long struggled with farmer verification and profiling. With the NDFR integrated into the NIN framework, banks and input suppliers can confidently expand credit and services, knowing farmers’ identities and locations are validated. This lays the groundwork for climate-smart insurance schemes, productivity-linked lending, and performance-based grants.
3. A Pillar for Food System Transformation:
   The NDFR, especially when aligned with platforms like NEEP and NADMIS, creates a strong digital backbone to support Nigeria’s transition to a data-driven, resilient, and inclusive food system. The centralization of agricultural data can support climate adaptation, input forecasting, value chain analysis, and aggregation models that benefit both smallholders and large-scale processors.
4.  Risks and Considerations:
   Despite the optimism, digital literacy, infrastructure deficits, and trust concerns among rural populations remain key barriers. Stakeholders must ensure sustained capacity-building, data governance frameworks, and local ownership of the registry to avoid alienating marginalized farmer groups.

Strategic Recommendations:

1.  Public-Private-Community Partnership (PPCP): Engage agro-dealers, cooperatives, and agtech startups to bridge last-mile registration and data validation.
2.  Regional Integration: NDFR should be aligned with state-level registries and agri-projects to avoid duplication and ensure coherence.
3. Agri-Youth Involvement: Train rural youth as “data champions” and extension agents to build trust and digital capacity in rural zones.
4. Value Chain Focus: Prioritize registration around critical crops (e.g. maize, rice, cassava, poultry) to drive market-ready interventions.

With political will, strong multistakeholder collaboration, and strategic execution, the NDFR has the potential to redefine how farmers are supported, measured, and empowered — and may well become Nigeria’s most significant agrifood innovation of the decade.”