The federal government has unveiled a comprehensive plan to significantly increase national yam production, targeting an increase in yield from 10 metric tonnes to 30 metric tonnes per hectare.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is collaborating with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture to leverage years of research on yam seed systems, with the aim of strengthening the entire yam value chain and benefiting farmers and other stakeholders.
The initiative seeks to address a national supply deficit of over 50 million metric tonnes.
Under the Ramping Up Programme, the government has outlined three key pillars: expanding the total land area under yam cultivation, increasing yield from 10 to 30 metric tonnes per hectare, and reducing post-harvest losses from 40 per cent to 25 per cent by the end of 2027.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
Speaking at the National Yam Advocacy Summit in Abuja, Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, declared yam a "Tier-1" crop, underscoring its strategic importance to national food security and economic growth.
He explained that the classification was based on the crop's national spread, consumption patterns and economic significance.
According to Abdullahi, the targets are designed to close the domestic demand gap, improve farmers' incomes and position Nigeria to capture a greater share of the global yam market.
"With the current national productivity figure of 10 metric tonnes per hectare, Nigeria produces 67.2 million metric tonnes annually, accounting for 67 per cent of global production," he said.
The minister added: "We also recognise the vast opportunities in yam processing, storage innovation and export development. By reducing post-harvest losses, standardising quality and improving traceability, Nigeria can move from being the largest producer of yams to becoming a major exporter of value-added yam products."
Experts note that yam occupies a unique place in Nigeria's economy, culture and food system.
The IITA has advanced Early Generation Seed production and improved propagation technologies, which could increase productivity by between 70 and 140 per cent while providing planting materials with lower disease risk.
The Deputy Director-General, Partnerships for Delivery and Scaling at IITA, Tahirou Abdoulaye, said improved yam varieties have already been adopted across West Africa.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
However, he stressed that improved varieties alone are not sufficient.
"We need an efficient seed system to ensure these varieties reach the farmers who need them most," he said.
Similarly, the Director-General of the National Agricultural Seed Council, Fatuhu Mohammed, said Nigeria remains the world's largest yam producer and that the crop plays a vital role in food security and income generation.
He emphasised that as the country embarks on a national yam production expansion drive, quality assurance and regulatory compliance must remain central to ensure improved productivity, higher incomes and stronger food systems.
New production technology
The National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM) in Ilorin, Kwara State, was tasked by former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, to develop technology that would reduce the labour-intensive process of manually creating yam heaps.
In response, the institute developed the "Yam Mound Maker," an automated implement mounted on a tractor to streamline mound production.
While manual labour produces between 300 and 400 mounds per day, the NCAM Yam Mound Maker can generate between 1,500 and 2,560 mounds daily.
The technology is expected to boost productivity, reduce labour costs and enhance overall efficiency in yam cultivation.
