Nigeria could lose over $1 billion in direct agricultural exports and more than $3 billion in total economic value each year if it fails to comply with European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), a federal government white paper launched in Abuja warns.
The EUDR requires that commodities exported to the EU be legally produced, deforestation-free, and traceable to their exact farm boundaries.
To address this, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has launched a national compliance strategy and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA). NASRDA will provide satellite imagery, real-time monitoring, and technical support, while the ministry coordinates farmer engagement and policy integration.
Agriculture Minister Abubakar Kyari said compliance presents an opportunity to modernise Nigeria’s agricultural value chains, access premium export markets, and increase farmer incomes.
He emphasised that tools under the strategy will remain affordable for smallholder farmers, who form the backbone of the sector.
The framework, developed in collaboration with government agencies, commodity associations, private stakeholders, and development partners, will be overseen by a joint steering committee and a national responsibility matrix.
It will ensure farmer registrations, polygon mapping, and transaction records feed into a single national database recognised by the EU.
Kyari stressed that the initiative is vital for securing Nigeria’s place in global supply chains, noting that failure to adapt could jeopardize farmers’ livelihoods and national economic gains.
He also highlighted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to making agriculture central to the country’s economic renewal and inclusive growth.
