In recognition of World Food Day 2026, the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) has extended food support to more than 150 vulnerable households across Lagos and Kaduna, bringing its commitment to food security directly into communities.

The outreach, organised in partnership with Inspire World International Foundation and the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, reflects the importance of addressing food insecurity through interventions that support both agricultural production and the immediate needs of households.

While farmers require financing, agricultural inputs and access to markets to sustain food production, vulnerable families also need access to food today. BOA’s community outreach highlights the connection between these priorities and the importance of building a food system that supports Nigerians at different levels.

Taking Food Security Beyond the Farm

Food security involves more than increasing the quantity of food produced. It also requires ensuring that food reaches households and that people can access the resources they need for their daily well-being.

Through its World Food Day outreach, BOA brought this principle closer to communities in Lagos and Kaduna by providing essential food supplies to more than 150 vulnerable households.

The initiative demonstrates the importance of collaboration between institutions and community-focused organisations in responding to immediate food needs. By working with Inspire World International Foundation and the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, the Bank extended its support beyond agricultural financing to reach families directly.

Supporting Farmers to Strengthen Food Production

Alongside its community-level interventions, BOA continues to support farmers through financing programmes designed to improve agricultural production, strengthen value chains and expand access to markets.

Through its Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Programme, the Bank has reached more than 500,000 smallholder farmers across 16 states, including over 70,000 women.

The programme has supported farmers with critical agricultural inputs, including 2.5 million bags of fertiliser and 300,000 bags of certified seeds. These resources help farmers cultivate their land, improve productivity and contribute to Nigeria’s food supply.

By supporting farmers with the resources required for production, BOA is helping to strengthen the agricultural foundation on which food availability and more resilient supply chains depend.

Mobilising Agricultural Finance for Food Security

BOA’s wider food-security efforts also include two major financing initiatives: the ₦200 billion Guaranteed Minimum Price Programme and the ₦250 billion Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund.

Together, these programmes represent ₦450 billion in flagship financing initiatives aimed at supporting agricultural production, strengthening market access and improving the food supply chain.

The initiatives reflect the importance of addressing multiple challenges within the agricultural sector. Farmers need access to financing and productive inputs, while stronger market systems can help connect agricultural produce with buyers and improve the movement of food through the value chain.

These interventions complement community-level support by addressing the production and market systems that influence food availability over time.

Creating Opportunities for Women and Young People

A stronger agricultural sector can also create opportunities for women and young people to develop sustainable livelihoods and businesses.

Opportunities exist across the agricultural value chain, including farming, processing, storage and distribution. Supporting these activities can help strengthen household incomes, expand economic participation and build more resilient rural and agricultural communities.

BOA’s support for smallholder farmers, including more than 70,000 women reached through its Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Programme, forms part of this broader effort to strengthen agricultural participation and productive capacity.

Connecting Community Support with Long-Term Agricultural Development

The World Food Day outreach highlights an important distinction: while agricultural financing and inputs help farmers produce food, community-level interventions can help address immediate food needs.

Both are important to a stronger food system.

Supporting farmers can contribute to greater production capacity and stronger agricultural livelihoods. Providing food assistance to vulnerable households, meanwhile, offers direct support to people facing immediate needs.

By pursuing these complementary approaches, BOA continues to connect its agricultural financing mandate with the wider objective of improving food security and supporting Nigerian households.

Advancing Food Security in Nigeria

Observed annually on 16 October, World Food Day draws attention to hunger, nutrition and the need to build food systems that serve people at every level.

BOA’s 2026 outreach in Lagos and Kaduna reflects the importance of connecting agricultural development with the well-being of Nigerian families. It also underscores the role of partnerships in extending support to communities while the Bank continues its work with farmers, agribusinesses and other operators across the agricultural value chain.

As the Bank continues to pursue its mandate of financing agriculture and supporting agricultural production, its broader objective remains to contribute to stronger rural livelihoods, improved food availability and greater access to food.

Through community outreach and sustained support for agricultural development, BOA is working towards a food system that supports both the people who produce the nation’s food and the households that depend on it.