Capacity development remains one of the most funded and trusted pathways to strengthen institutions, empower professionals, and accelerate economic growth, especially in Nigeria. From federal ministries to state agencies, NGOs, and agrifood enterprises, hundreds participate each year in training sessions on leadership, digital tools, monitoring and evaluation, agronomy, nutrition, finance, coordination, and more.

Development partners continue to invest heavily in workshops, technical training, leadership programmes, extension support, digital skills, and organisational development. And rightly so, because people are the backbone of every reform, policy, and food system we aim to transform. However, despite the significant investment, a recurring question remains: Why does capacity building sometimes seem slow in producing tangible, visible change?

The evidence does not indicate a failure in the training itself, but rather a gap in how training interacts with the environment in which people operate. Capacity does not develop in isolation; individuals learn as part of systems, which are shaped by policies, incentives, structures, culture, tools, and politics.

Despite the heavy investment in training, Nigeria still faces massive gaps in talent, knowledge, and institutions. From state planning units to extension services, nutrition desks, research institutions, cooperatives, SMEs, and agribusinesses, capacity development is not optional; it is critical. Evidence from global development practice shows that training alone contributes only one component of long-term capacity development or change, and its impact depends heavily on organisational culture, leadership, and the systems that people return to after the workshop.

To unlock the full value of and/or upgrade capacity development in Nigeria, particularly for agriculture and food systems transformation, we need a broader, more holistic approach: An approach not just centred on building the people, but also on strengthening the organisations and aligning the systems they work within.

What Global Evidence Tells Us

International studies have consistently shown that while training builds knowledge, knowledge alone does not automatically translate into behaviour change or improved performance.

Here are three widely recognised findings:

1. Only a fraction of training is applied without system support

A significant body of research on training transfer indicates that knowledge gained in training does not automatically translate into behaviour change or organisational performance unless workplace conditions support it. 60–90% of knowledge acquired during training is not applied at work when the workplace lacks supporting structures, such as leadership, incentives, tools, and processes. This finding is supported by studies from around the world on workplace learning.

2. Training plus reinforcement outperforms training alone

A global evaluation comparing “training only” versus “training with follow-up support” found that participants with reinforcement activities such as coaching, practice, and application tasks had 2x higher skill uptake, and 48% greater improvement in work performance. This demonstrates that training content becomes more impactful when combined with follow-up structures that support actual application.

3. A World Bank IEG study confirms that training alone is insufficient

The World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) concluded that training must be combined with organisational reforms, institutional incentives and leadership engagement to achieve meaningful development outcomes: “Training on its own is rarely sufficient to build sustainable capacity.”

A Systems Lens for Nigeria’s Capacity Development

Nigeria needs capacity development, especially in agriculture, nutrition, climate resilience, extension systems, and public sector coordination. To unlock the full benefits of investments, capacity programmes must expand beyond the training room to consider three interconnected levels:

1. Individual Capacity

People still require skills in technical, managerial, digital, financial, analytical, gender-responsive, climate-smart, and leadership. However, learning is most effective when linked to real challenges they encounter daily.

2. Organisational Capacity

This is where learning turns into productivity with the right tools, processes, reporting structures, incentives, and decision-making culture. Without this layer, even the best-trained officers cannot perform effectively.

3. Institutional and System Capacity

This is where food systems transformation thrives. Capacity cannot work when policies conflict, coordination platforms are weak, accountability mechanisms are compromised, budgets are diverted, arrive late or don’t come at all, structures underperform or political transitions reset priorities.

When these three levels align, learning becomes performance, and performance leads to transformation.

Why This Matters for Nigeria’s Food Systems Transformation

Nigeria’s food system is complex and interconnected. Farmers depend on extension, extension depends on inputs and data, processors depend on markets, markets depend on policies, and nutrition outcomes depend on behaviour, affordability, and access.

Development partners fund capacity programmes because the sector cannot grow without skilled people and strong institutions. To drive real change, programmes must tackle the key challenges holding the system back, involve leadership to support learning, and combine training with follow-up coaching and practical tasks that encourage better decision-making, data use, coordination, and stakeholder engagement.

Solutions co-designed with participants increase adoption, while updating tools, SOPs, and frameworks helps embed new skills in the organisation. Success should be measured by improvements in coordination, service delivery, decision-making, data quality, farmer outcomes, and responsiveness, not just attendance. Strengthening policies, budgets, incentives, and data systems ensures these gains last.

Training will always matter. But training within a well-designed system is what truly brings lasting changes and capacity development.

The current opportunity is to ensure these investments create more profound, sustainable, and lasting impact. By adopting a systems-thinking approach, capacity development becomes more than just workshops; it transforms into a deliberate, structured pathway for strengthening institutions, energising public service delivery, enhancing agricultural productivity, improving nutrition outcomes, and accelerating food systems transformation.

By Grace Omini, Manager at Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition Limited