Leadway Assurance, in partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), and Verdure Climate, has convened a high-level national dialogue aimed at addressing Nigeria’s growing agricultural and climate-related risks.
The strategic dialogue, held in Abuja, focused on practical and scalable solutions to strengthen agricultural financing. Themed “Accelerating Agricultural Lending to Market Actors and Smallholder Farmers Using Index-Based Agricultural Insurance and Blended Finance Solutions,” the event brought together key stakeholders across the agricultural value chain.
Speaking at the forum, Ayoola Fatona, Global Head of Agriculture Risk Solutions at Leadway Assurance, reaffirmed the company’s long-term commitment to financial inclusion, climate resilience, and sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria.
According to Fatona, Leadway is positioning insurance as a powerful catalyst for agricultural productivity by enabling farmers to access credit, adopt climate-smart practices, and recover quickly from weather-related shocks.
“We are on a mission to make insurance a catalyst for productivity by ensuring farmers can access credit, adopt climate-keen practices, and recover quickly from weather-related shocks. Collaborating with AGRA, NADF, and Verdure Climate allows us to co-create solutions that strengthen the entire agricultural value chain and secure the future of our food systems,” he said.
Fatona also emphasized the urgency of building resilient systems that empower farmers while reducing risks for financiers, particularly as climate change continues to threaten food security.
“As climate risks intensify, our responsibility extends beyond underwriting. We must become enablers of productivity, inclusion, and long-term stability. Index-based agricultural insurance, when integrated with blended finance structures, provides the transparency, speed, and scalability required to unlock credit for both market actors and smallholder farmers,” he added.
The dialogue marks a significant step toward advancing climate-smart agriculture, expanding agricultural lending, and strengthening Nigeria’s food systems through innovative insurance and finance solutions.
