toThe dawn broke gently over the red‑soiled farmlands of Kaduna State. At Wulara village, 28‑year‑old Lawan Abdul stepped into his field of soybeans, still damp with dew. He paused. A year ago, this acreage would produce modest yields, barely enough for subsistence. Today, thanks to new practices taught under a partnership with Nestlé Nigeria, his harvest is nearly double.
“Since I started adopting the strategies … my yields have increased by 100 %. This was very surprising and encouraging for me. I am very happy with the outcome and thank the project partners and MAGGI for bringing this to us,” Abdul said.
Across Nigeria, a quiet revolution is taking hold. It is not in the boardroom, nor in offshore finance—it’s on the farm. It is led by Nestlé Nigeria PLC, working in tandem with agricultural communities, youth, women, and government agencies to evolve raw‑material production into a platform for empowerment, resilience and purpose.
Nestlé Nigeria’s agriculture agenda is ambitious: build reliable value chains for grains and dairy, embed regenerative technologies, lift rural incomes, and align business success with community success. The company describes its model as “creating shared value.” But for farmers like Lawan, it is something more intimate: a chance to transform land into livelihood, yield into hope.
Why it Matters—Now
Nigeria remains one of the world’s most agriculturally endowed nations, yet paradoxically still visits import‑dependency. Smallholder farms, climate vulnerability, fragmented supply chains and weak market access have long constrained progress. The stakes go beyond the farm gate: rural livelihoods, national food security, youth employment, and even export potential hinge on agricultural transformation.
Nestlé Nigeria recognises that its own viability as a food‑ and beverage‑processor is intertwined with the health of Nigerian agriculture. In its 2024 annual report the company states that “Ensuring the safety and quality of the ingredients used in our products is a top priority … we therefore support agricultural communities to improve their product quality and output, livelihoods and quality of life.”
In an era of climate volatility, currency pressures, and supply‑chain shocks, sourcing locally is not a risk—it is a strategic imperative. Product quality, traceability, and sustainability have moved to centre stage. For Nigeria, the upside is profound: internal value‑creation, reduced import bills, jobs in rural zones, and the stabilising of Nigerian farming futures.
Grain Value Chain Renewal, Anchoring Food Systems at the Source
One of the most significant entry‑points for Nestlé Nigeria is the grains value chain: maize, soybean, sorghum, rice. Through the initiative known as StreFaS (Strengthening Farmers’ and SMEs’ Resilience through Climate Smart Grain Production and Accessing Structured Markets), launched in mid‑2024, the company is working with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and TechnoServe to reach 25,000 smallholder farmers and eight aggregators in Kaduna and Nasarawa States.
Scale & ambition
The programme is a three‑year initiative (June 2024 – Oct 2027) targeting maize, soybean, rice and sorghum.
It emphasises regenerative agriculture: cover cropping, minimal tillage, crop rotation, hedgerows—all to rebuild soil health and biodiversity.
A pilot phase supported 1,030 soybean farmers and delivered yield increases of up to 100 %.
The broader target: at least 80,000 metric tonnes of quality grains annually under regenerative practices.
Why this matters
By anchoring grains in formal value chains, Nestlé Nigeria is building supply‑security. Higher yields, improved quality (lower rejection rates), and structured offtake agreements mean farmers participate in value creation early—not merely at the end of the chain.
Moreover, regenerative practices help adapt farming to climate stresses, restore exhausted soils, and reduce greenhouse‑gas intensity of production. For example, soil draft data from Nestlé’s 2024 report shows demonstration plots delivering significant productivity improvements.
Voices of change
Professor at Obafemi Awolowo University emphasises:
“Digital training simply means teaching farmers how to use digital tools on their farms and in various phases of their crops’ value chain, The federal government should embrace teaching farmers how to use digital devices such as phones, such that they can begin to market their produce on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter among others.”
While the quote wasn’t originally about Nestlé, it underscores the ecosystem in which such investments must operate.
Dairy Value Chain – From Pastoralists to Premium Milk
If grains represent Nestlé’s upstream expansion in crops, dairy is its frontier in livestock. At the grazing lands of the Paikon Kore Reserve in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nestlé Nigeria launched the Nestlé Livestock Development Project (NLDP), culminating in a “Dairy Demonstration Farm” unveiled early 2025.
Investment & progress
Since 2019, Nestlé Nigeria has invested over ₦1.8 billion in the dairy project.
As of early 2025 the project aggregates ~6,000 litres of raw milk daily from ~1,600 dairy households.
The ambition: 30,000 litres per day by November 2027.
Household incomes of participating milk producers rose from ~₦70,000/month in 2021 to ~₦250,000/month in 2024.
Quality improved: milk‑rejection rate dropped from 12% in 2021 to 5% in 2024.
Model farm, training & infrastructure
The demonstration farm at Paikon Kore is designed as a learning hub—showing how local cattle yields can rise from ~1 litre per cow per day to over 10 litres under best‑practice breeding, feed management, hygiene and infrastructure.
Facilities include boreholes and water troughs (19 and 28 respectively) to secure hydration for herds. Over 36,000 cattle have been vaccinated under the project.
Impact beyond milk
This dairy initiative addresses several structural issues:
It helps stabilise migratory pastoral systems by providing settled, gainful dairy livelihoods.
It creates rural infrastructure (water, cooling centres) with benefits beyond direct producers.
It builds linkages into formal value chains (milk → processors → national market).
It sets an example of replicability in other states.
A Country Director for AGRA Nigeria (speaking about broader agr‑initiatives) noted:
“This project is not just about boosting yields, it’s about regenerating our soils, restoring dignity to farming, and creating a more inclusive and sustainable future for communities across Kaduna and Nasarawa States.”
His words capture the ethos of Nestlé’s dairy and grain programmes too.
Regenerative Agriculture & Climate‑Smart Sourcing. A New Farming Paradigm
Nestlé Nigeria is not just expanding; it is upgrading. The company’s ambition: By 2030, source at least 50% of its key ingredients from farmers practising regenerative agriculture.
In Nigeria, the programmes to deliver this ambition are underway.
Highlights
A regenerative‑agriculture pilot for local soybean sourcing (under the MAGGI brand) supported 1,030 farmers and achieved yields up to 100% higher using cover crops, minimal tillage and crop rotation.
StreFaS (described earlier) supports up to 25,000 smallholders in climate‑smart grain production.
Annual report data indicates demonstration plots of ~85 acres, 1,031 farmers trained in 2023, and around 74 tons of maize/soy/sorghum harvested.
Why it matters
Regenerative agriculture is both climate‑smart and productivity‑boosting. It restores soil health, sequesters carbon, builds resilience to drought, and enables farmers to access premium markets.
Professor Foluso Okunmadewa of the World Bank (commenting on agriculture broadly) asserted:
“We need to integrate farm‑gate as a core component of agricultural development policy in the country… developing farm‑gate value will go a long way in reducing non‑performance of agricultural policies in Nigeria.”
Nestlé’s approach gives definition to this policy prescription.
Community Voices & Lifeworlds
At Mokwa in Niger State, 43‑year‑old dairy‑producer Hassan Ibrahim walks across his herd, counting cows. When Nestlé’s NLDP began, the herd had no formal cooling‑centre link. Milk was sold informally. Today, he is part of a cooperative supplying to the Paikon collection hub. His income has more than tripled, and his children attend boarding school. “I feel proud now,” he says softly. “My cows bring more than milk—they bring hope.”
In Kaduna, smallholder maize‑farmer Aisha Salisu, 31, joined the regenerative‑farming pilot. Previously reliant on mono‑cropping maize with heavy fertiliser spend, she now alternates crops, uses cover crops and has planted hedgerows. At harvest day she smiled broadly. “I harvested 4 tons, last year I harvested 2 tons. I now feel farming is my business, not just a guess‑work.”
These voices speak to the lived impact of programmes that combine technical training, infrastructure, market linkages and corporate commitment.
Expert Commentary & Strategic Insights
Dr Adetunji Oredipe, Senior Agriculture Economist with the World Bank, reflects:
“We must create the enabling environment for privately‑driven large‑scale commercial agriculture enterprises, rather than adopting food‑price control measures, governments must work to develop a National Food Prices Management Plan (NFPMP).”
His words underline the need for scale, policy coherence and private‑sector anchors, exactly what Nestlé Nigeria is providing.
Professor emphasises digital and inclusion dimensions: farmers must adopt digital tools and access formal markets to fully benefit.
The agribusiness ecosystem in Nigeria is at a tipping point: with firms like Nestlé Nigeria committing meaningful investment, the role of government, finance institutions and cooperatives must align to avoid fragmentation.
Strategic Implications for Nigeria’s Agriculture & Economy
Food security & import‑substitution
By sourcing ingredients locally rather than importing, Nestlé Nigeria supports import‑bill reduction and builds self‑reliance. With Nigeria spending multi‑billion dollars annually on food imports, every tonne produced locally matters.
Rural employment & inclusion
The training of thousands of farmers, youth and women creates opportunity outside the oil sector. Nestlé’s grain programme trained 22,110 farmers in one year (32% women) under environmentally‑friendly agriculture.
Climate resilience & sustainable development
Regenerative agriculture matters for Nigeria’s climate goals. Nestlé’s underpinning behaviour aligns business and environment in one strategy.
Corporate‑community symbiosis
Nestlé’s business growth is matched with community benefit: supply‑chain resilience for the firm; improved livelihoods for farmers. This “shared value” model is emerging as a template.
Replicability & scaling
Nestlé Nigeria’s pilot projects show strong results—but scale remains the test. Reaching tens of thousands of farmers, and embedding these practices into national agricultural systems, will determine long‑term impact.
What Comes Next – The Road Ahead
To build on momentum, Nestlé Nigeria and its partners will need to:
Expand infrastructure: more cooling centres, boreholes, aggregation hubs.
Strengthen logistics and aggregation: storage, transport, quality control.
Provide finance & risk buffers: smallholders need access to capital and insurance.
Digitalise and integrate markets: platforms for farm‑to‑factory traceability, mobile payments, crop forecasting.
Deepen youth & women inclusion: make farming attractive and accessible to younger generation.
Work with policy & regulation: land‑rights clarity, incentives for regenerative practices, guaranteed offtake.
Scale regenerative models: move from demonstration plots to full‑scale adoption across states.
Closing Reflections
For, Celestine Ukpong an economist and investor, and reader of these transformative economic stories, Nestlé Nigeria’s agriculture journey holds numerous parallels to tourism and service sector narratives: value‑chain development, community‑integration, capacity‑building, inclusive growth.
Nestlé Nigeria is not simply sourcing ingredients for its noodles or drinks, it is seeding structural change in Nigerian agriculture. It is raising yields, improving quality, enabling market access, and rooting modern farming in rural Nigeria. It is transforming farmers into suppliers, pastures into production hubs, and the land into livelihoods.
If the early signs hold—doubling yields, tripled incomes, early regenerative success, then the blueprint stands. The next chapters will show whether this model can scale, whether tens of thousands more farmers will join, and whether Nigeria can move from being a net‑importer to a robust producer of its foods.
In that future, the farm is no longer a back‑end supplier. It is a front‑line of national growth, climate resilience and inclusive prosperity.
Nestlé Nigeria has planted more than seeds, it has planted ambition. And with it, a future where Nigerian agriculture is not just survival, but source. A future where the farmer holds the key to food, income and dignity. A future where the land is a stepping‑stone to prosperity, not a scramble for subsistence.
“Discover how Nestlé Nigeria PLC is reinventing agriculture in Nigeria through its grain and dairy value‑chain initiatives, empowering smallholder farmers with regenerative practices, boosting incomes and strengthening food security.”
Discover more from Ameh News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
