Researchers, policymakers and farmers gathered at the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) in Ibadan on Thursday, November 5, 2026, for a Stakeholder Seminar and Validation Roundtable on Agrifood Knowledge and Innovation Systems in Nigeria.
The event was themed “Strengthening Nigeria’s Agrifood Knowledge and Innovation System for Demand-Driven Scaling.” It was convened by NISER and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), under the CGIAR Scaling for Impact Program.
The study, known as the Agrifood Knowledge and Innovation System Diagnostic (AKIS-DS), assessed how agricultural knowledge moves from researchers to farmers in Nigeria, Colombia and Bangladesh. In Nigeria, researchers conducted 65 key informant interviews across Kano, Niger, Kaduna, Adamawa, Oyo and the Federal Capital Territory, generating 2,557 coded responses.
Opening the seminar, the Director General of NISER, Prof. Antonia Simbine, welcomed participants and gave an introductory speech on the NISER-IWMI collaboration, and expectations for the seminar. Stating that Nigeria’s food crisis cannot be explained by global conflicts alone, she noted that agriculture contributes about 28 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and employs 50 to 70 percent of the rural workforce, yet food inflation remains intolerably high and continues to drive overall inflation.
“Food is one of the most essential parts of life,” the Director General said. “When the cost of food is high, it impacts other sectors of the economy.”
She listed small-scale farming, dependence on rain-fed agriculture, obsolete technology, post-harvest losses, climate vulnerability and insecurity in food-producing regions, particularly in the Middle Belt, as major constraints. Benue State, once regarded as the nation’s food basket, has been hit hard by insecurity and displacement, she said.
She added that knowledge and innovation systems must prioritize improving yields, modernizing fertilizer practices, reforming sustainable land management, scaling mechanization, building infrastructure, and facilitating climate-smart and digital agriculture.
Dr. Charity Osei-Amponsah, Senior Regional Researcher and Country Focal Point of IWMI, set the scene for the seminar, explaining the purpose of the study, why demand-driven scaling matters, and the objectives of the validation seminar.
She introduced the institute and its strategy to participants, explaining that IWMI works to transform water systems through collective action, evidence generation and application, to support sustainable and climate-resilient development. IWMI’s strategy rests on three pillars: Mitigating water risk, Managing water sustainably, and Overcoming global inequalities.
She also introduced the Vision of IWMI: “A water-secure world,” and the Mission, “To advance the transformation of water systems through collective action to generate and apply evidence to respond to challenges for sustainable, climate-resilient development.”
Dr. Osei-Amponsah noted that IWMI’s work in Nigeria, under the CGIAR Scaling for Impact programme, is focused on ensuring that research, water and agrifood innovations reach farmers and translate into real livelihood improvements, which is why the AKIS Diagnostic Study with NISER is critical.
The lead presenter, Mr. Owolabi Musara, presented the preliminary AKIS-DS findings, sn overview of the study approach and stakeholder coverage, key emerging findings, opportunities and challenges in Nigeria’s AKIS, and preliminary implications.
He said Nigeria does not lack researchers, institutions or innovations. The problem, he said, is weak connection between actors in the system.
According to the preliminary findings, 32 out of 59 interviews rated the link between farmers and researchers as mainly weak. 20 out of 43 interviews rated the link between farmers and banks as mainly weak.
A major perception gap also emerged. While 45 percent of policy officials described the extension-to-farmer link as mainly strong, only 5 percent of producer organizations agreed.
The NISER AKIS-DS Research/Enumerator Team shared reflections from conducting the stakeholder interviews, including observations on stakeholder perspectives and lessons from the data collection process.
From their field experience across Kano, Niger, Kaduna, Adamawa, Oyo and the FCT, the team identified key challenges: Weak collaboration with knowledge generators and stakeholders, No policy framework to connect the programme, Inadequate agent funding, Mobility deficit / Market, Need for partnerships between farmers and knowledge generators.
The study also found that farmers’ demands are often expressed but not translated into action. In 48 of 65 interviews, respondents said demands were diluted, captured, lost or reshaped by funders, government officials or politicians before reaching implementation.
Researchers said capacity gaps extend beyond extension services. Forty-two of 65 interviews cited capacity limits, while 49 cited underfunding or budgets that were approved but never released.
On inclusion, 50 of 65 interviews raised gender and inclusion concerns. Women face insecure access to land, often allocated through husbands or traditional leaders, while youth are drawn to agriculture mainly through mechanization, irrigation and digital tools.
The study also found that knowledge flows more reliably than resources. Knowledge diffusion was rated positive in 70 percent of responses, while resource and credit mobilization scored lowest at 50 percent.
Selected stakeholder discussants gave initial reflections on the preliminary findings, highlighting areas of agreement, disagreement, missing issues and important contextual factors.
This segment was followed by the Stakeholder Validation Roundtable, a moderated discussion around key emerging findings and participants’ experiences, facilitated by Mr. L. Chete, Head of Economic and Business Policy Department, NISER.
Participants then moved to the identification of priority issues and practical opportunities for strengthening Nigeria’s agrifood knowledge and innovation system in the “From Evidence to Action” segment.
The researchers presented seven priority recommendations, including rebuilding the research-extension-farmer feedback loop, expanding bundled input credit and off-take arrangements, strengthening transparent beneficiary verification to reduce elite capture, protecting policy and budget continuity, integrating project monitoring into a shared evidence base, promoting cluster-based farming, and including financial institutions, women and youth in coordination platforms.
IWMI gave a synthesis and next steps: summary of validated findings, areas requiring further investigation, and how stakeholder feedback will inform the AKIS-DS analysis.
Dr. Charity Osei-Amponsah and Prof. Oni, Head of the Agriculture and Food Policy Department (NISER), jointly delivered the closing remarks. They thanked IWMI for sponsoring the study, the NISER management for their collaboration which has made the study a success, and the research enumerators.
The seminar had in attendance Prof. Oni, Head of Agriculture and Food Policy Department; Prof. Abubakar Oladeji, Head of Political and Governance Policy Department; Mr. L. Chete, Head of Economic and Business Policy Department; Dr. Okeke, NISER AKIS-DS Enumerator Research Team Lead; stakeholders, and NISER staff.
The event climaxed after interactive sessions, photo sessions, and networking sessions.
The organizers said the findings would inform a demand-driven roadmap and a country scaling report expected by the end of 2026.
© NISER Public Affairs and Information Unit