FG, IFAD Invests ₦5.17B in Ebonyi for Rice, Cassava Development

News in Brief

• -The Nigerian FG and IFAD unveil a plan for 2026 that earmarks ₦5.17 billion to improve rice and cassava production in Ebonyi.
• -State leaders praise its transformative impact and call for wider coverage across all local government areas.

The Federal Government of Nigeria and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) are set to invest ₦5.17 billion in agricultural development initiatives across Ebonyi State in 2026.

Sunday Ituma, FG/IFAD Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) state coordinator, announced the initiative at a recent steering committee meeting on the 2026 Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWPB) held in Abakaliki..

Boosting Productivity, Youth Capacity in Rice and Cassava Production

The budget focuses on boosting productivity, empowering youths, and promoting value addition in staples like rice and cassava.

Ituma highlighted that the funds will be sourced from multi-stakeholder contributions, including ₦4.12 billion from IFAD, ₦176.64 million from Ebonyi's government, and ₦876.73 million from beneficiary groups.

A major component of the plan includes supplying farmer organisations with small-scale rice processing equipment, such as hauliers, destoners, weighing scales, and bag-stitching machines, valued at ₦150 million.

Additionally, two rice colour sorters worth ₦60 million and equipment for youth-led vitamin A cassava processing enterprises are incorporated.

“The youth processing tools include ovens, gas cylinders, extractors, and scales estimated at ₦22.5 million,” Ituma elaborated. He expressed optimism about commencing activities by early 2026 once the budget gets approval from the relevant ministries and IFAD headquarters.

Ebonyi government commends VCDP

Since its inception in 2015, the FG/IFAD-VCDP has positively impacted thousands of Ebonyi farmers and infused over ₦17 billion into the state’s economy, underscoring its importance to the region’s agricultural transformation.

Nkechinyere Iyioku, Ebonyi’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Chairman of the Steering Committee, praised the VCDP team for their dedication and urged them to extend the programme’s reach to all local government areas. She described the programme’s interventions as “life-changing” for rural communities.

Leonard Uguru, Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development and vice-chair of the committee, commended the programme’s stellar evaluation ratings above 90%, urging other World Bank-assisted projects in the state to emulate its impactful approach.