National dialogue in Nigeria connects food systems and climate action through the Convergence Initiative

Abuja, Nigeria – Nigeria has advanced the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub's Convergence Initiative through a National Dialogue on Agrifood Systems and Climate Action, bringing together more than 100 participants from government, State Food Systems Focal Points, the Zonal Food Systems Coordination Platforms, United Nations agencies, development partners, research institutions, civil society, the private sector and representatives from all six geopolitical zones.

Convened by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning with support from the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, FAO and partners, the Dialogue focused on how stronger coordination can connect food systems, climate, biodiversity and sustainable development efforts. Discussions explored how ministries and different levels of government can better align existing policies and investments while translating priorities identified across the six geopolitical zones into practical action for a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable agrifood system.

The Convergence Initiative supports countries in strengthening alignment between food systems transformation and climate action by identifying synergies, addressing trade-offs, and connecting existing policies, institutions, investments and implementation processes. Nigeria is one of 22 countries applying this approach to strengthen nationally led food systems transformation.

A practical approach to convergence

"The Convergence Initiative is a direct contribution to the National Development Plan 2026-2030, which identifies food security and climate resilience as strategic priorities," said Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, CFA, Honourable Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning.

The event highlighted the growing pressure climate change is placing on Nigeria's food systems. Rising temperatures, increasingly unpredictable rainfall, recurrent droughts and floods, desertification, declining soil quality, biodiversity loss and wider land degradation are constraining agricultural productivity and increasing the vulnerability of farming communities. These pressures come at a time of rapid population growth, urbanization and rising demand for food, while the country's available land area remains unchanged. Participants stressed the need to make safe and nutritious food more available, accessible and affordable while protecting natural resources and strengthening food security at household and national levels.

"The food systems transformation pathway sets out a bold vision for achieving sustainable food production, reducing hunger and malnutrition, improving livelihoods, strengthening resilience, promoting inclusive participation, restoring ecosystems, and accelerating economic opportunities across the agrifood sector," said Sen. Dr Aliyu S. Abdullahi, CON, Honourable Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

Food systems span agriculture, livestock, fisheries, water, health, nutrition, environment, finance, science, trade and social protection. The Dialogue explored how these different sectors can work more closely together around shared priorities.

This approach lies at the heart of the Convergence Initiative, which builds on existing national processes rather than creating parallel structures, helping governments and partners work together more effectively.

A timely opportunity to align national priorities

"We can no longer afford to design agricultural policies in isolation from climate realities," said Okoro Clementina Ebere, M.Sc., RDN. Nigeria National Food Systems Convenor, Director, Food and Nutrition Department on behalf of Deborah O.N. Odoh, FSM, MCIPM, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning. 

The Dialogue builds on Nigeria's national food systems pathway, developed following the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit. The country has since developed a strategy for putting the pathway into practice, consulted stakeholders across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, and strengthened national coordination mechanisms.

Discussions highlighted that convergence must also be reflected in national planning, budgeting, data systems and implementation. Climate-smart agriculture, nutrition-sensitive interventions, early warning systems and resilient infrastructure need to be integrated into development plans and budgets, supported by monitoring systems that connect climate information, agricultural production, market trends and nutrition outcomes. This would enable institutions to act on shared evidence, reduce fragmentation and respond more effectively to emerging risks.

Nutrition and inclusion were another important part of the discussion. Climate pressures can make healthy diets less accessible, particularly for children, women, smallholder farmers and other vulnerable groups. Participants called for stronger links between climate resilience, nutrition, social protection, livelihoods and market systems, with coordination extending to states, local governments, communities and Nigeria's six geopolitical zones.

Participants also stressed the need to better align climate finance, agricultural investment, nutrition financing and domestic resources around common priorities. As development cooperation increasingly shifts towards investment-led partnerships, the Blueprint can help identify high-impact, bankable interventions, map financing and partnership opportunities, manage risks, and mobilize public and private investment at the federal, state and local levels.

Connecting zonal, national and global action

Climate change is already affecting agricultural production, markets, nutrition and livelihoods across Nigeria's diverse agroecological zones. Discussions highlighted the importance of drought-tolerant crops, improved livestock systems, soil restoration, ecosystem-based adaptation and practices suited to local conditions.

A defining feature of Nigeria's Convergence Initiative was the integration of perspectives from six zonal dialogues held across the country's geopolitical zones. While each identified context-specific priorities, common themes emerged around stronger governance and institutional coordination, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable financing, improved food value chains, digital innovation, and greater support for women, youth and vulnerable communities. Participants also highlighted the National Policy on Food and Nutrition 2026-2035 and the Medium-Term National Development Plan 2026-2030, which position food and nutrition as central to sustainable and inclusive growth, human capital development, food security, economic opportunity and climate resilience.

The discussions also underscored the importance of linking local priorities with national ambitions and global commitments. The UN Resident Coordinator highlighted food systems as a critical entry point for accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals while responding to climate change, and reaffirmed the United Nations' continued support to Nigeria through the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.

Nigeria's Convergence Action Blueprint

A central outcome of the process will be the development of a Convergence Action Blueprint. The Blueprint is intended to provide a practical framework for coordination, resource mobilization and monitoring, while aligning the national food systems pathway with Nigeria's climate commitments, adaptation plans and national development priorities.

The Convergence Initiative also provides a practical platform for aligning implementation of the CAADP Kampala Declaration with Nigeria's national food systems transformation pathway, Nationally Determined Contribution, National Adaptation Plan, Renewed Hope Agenda, National Development Plan 2021-2025, and Nigeria Agenda 2050. Participants emphasized that the Convergence Action Blueprint should serve as a coordinated framework, connecting these agendas while identifying shared priorities, investment opportunities and institutional responsibilities.

"Since the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, Nigeria has demonstrated a strong commitment to transforming its food systems. More than forty national and local dialogues helped shape the country's food systems transformation pathway and its 78 priority actions. Since then, Nigeria has developed an implementation strategy, strengthened national coordination, and advanced practical initiatives that are already making a difference on the ground," said Lara Blanco Rother, Deputy Director of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub.

The draft Convergence Action Blueprint organizes priority interventions into six interconnected clusters: governance and policy coherence; climate-smart production; value chains and agro-processing; environmental and natural resource management; nutrition and inclusion; and financing, innovation and data systems. Each cluster is assessed through both food systems and climate lenses, ensuring that interventions are not treated as belonging to one agenda or the other.

The Blueprint will continue to be refined through engagement with government institutions and partners. It will help identify risks and financing opportunities, support enterprise and value chain development, establish mechanisms for tracking progress, and carry the Dialogue's outcomes into coordinated action across sectors and levels of government.

Growing momentum across countries

Through the Convergence Initiative, participating countries are developing approaches that reflect their own institutions, policies and development contexts. Nigeria's National Dialogue adds to this growing body of country experience, demonstrating how a nationally led convergence process can strengthen coordination, mobilize investment and support delivery across interconnected agendas.