By Faridat Salifu
The Federal Government has begun the second phase of its review of Nigeria’s agricultural laws, with a focus on updating outdated provisions and creating a legal framework that responds to climate change, technology and changing food systems.
The second phase of the review began on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at a stakeholders’ technical retreat in Abuja organised to validate proposed reforms to the country’s agricultural legislation.
Representing the Director of Legal Services at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Hafsat Dupe Belgore, Assistant Legal Adviser Manbyen Mamvong said the first phase identified obsolete provisions, overlapping mandates and regulatory gaps across existing agricultural laws.
She said the review also found areas where the laws had failed to keep pace with developments in climate change, mechanisation, agricultural technology, private-sector investment and food systems transformation.
According to Belgore, the second phase would validate findings and draft proposals from the first phase, incorporate sector-specific contributions and align the proposed reforms with existing national laws and international best practices.
The review covers 18 agricultural laws, with lawmakers and other stakeholders expected to contribute to the proposed amendments.
Chairman of the House Committee on Agricultural Production Services, Bello Ka’oje, represented by the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Kelechi Nwogu, said the review was necessary to ensure that agricultural legislation remained relevant to emerging opportunities and challenges in the sector.
Consultant and Lead Partner at Thinkfield Law, Emeka Ogenyi, said the retreat would allow stakeholders to validate the proposed amendments before the final harmonised draft is submitted to the Ministry of Justice for legal drafting.
The proposed reforms are expected to provide a more coherent legal framework for agricultural development and investment, while supporting the government’s stated objective of strengthening food sovereignty and agribusiness-led growth.
The retreat brought together members of the National Assembly, representatives of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Ministry of Justice, officials of the Agriculture Ministry and its agencies, legal experts and other stakeholders.
