Nigeria, France deepen agribusiness cooperation to boost food production

By Diden Abigail Owuntarose

Nigeria and France are strengthening their economic partnership in the agricultural sector, with renewed commitments to investment, technology transfer and agro-processing aimed at improving food production and expanding agricultural trade.

The development was highlighted at the France-Nigeria Agri-Business Summit held in Lagos as part of French Week 2026, where government officials, investors, researchers and business leaders explored opportunities for cooperation across the agricultural value chain.

The Consul-General of France in Lagos, Laurent Favier, said Nigeria possessed the land, climate and human resources required to become one of Africa’s leading agri-food hubs but needed greater investment in technology, financing and agricultural expertise.

He disclosed that more than 36 million Nigerians were facing severe food insecurity, stressing the need for stronger agricultural production and investment to address the challenge.

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Favier also announced that a €300m financing facility managed by Proparco would support agricultural value chains across Africa.

The facility forms part of a broader €27bn commitment announced at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi to strengthen agricultural resilience, production and food trade across the continent.

According to him, the France-Nigeria Agri-Business Club, established under the Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is expected to bring together more than 500 members from the business community, government and academic institutions.

He said the platform would promote investment in agricultural mechanisation, agro-processing, local capacity development and measures to reduce post-harvest losses.

Favier added that French experts were also working with Nigerian agricultural producers to improve compliance with European Union export standards, particularly in addressing challenges involving Tuta absoluta, aflatoxin and Salmonella contamination affecting products such as tomatoes, sesame and ginger.

He noted that improved cold-chain infrastructure and food preservation systems would help farmers reduce losses, increase earnings and gain access to international markets.

Maxime Bieliaeff of Business France said the organisation was connecting French companies with Nigerian partners to develop practical solutions across the agricultural value chain.

He disclosed that a French company specialising in cold-room technology was preparing facilities to support post-harvest preservation in Nigeria, while a French irrigation technology company was working towards deploying irrigation solutions through a partnership with a Nigerian firm.

Also speaking at the summit, the Director-General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Simeon Ehui, called for stronger collaboration between agricultural researchers, businesses and investors.

Ehui said connecting scientific research with commercial opportunities would accelerate innovation, improve productivity and strengthen investment in the sector.

He stressed that agricultural innovations needed reliable markets and stronger private-sector participation to deliver meaningful economic benefits.

The cooperation comes amid growing commercial relations between Nigeria and France, with bilateral trade reaching $4.7bn in 2025, according to the French Consul-General.

The partnership is expected to create opportunities for Nigerian agricultural businesses to access French technology, financing and international markets while encouraging French companies to invest in Nigeria’s agricultural industry.

Beyond improving food production, stakeholders believe stronger cooperation in mechanisation, irrigation, storage and processing could help reduce import dependence, strengthen local manufacturing and create employment across the agricultural value chain.