FG, IFAD to Accelerate Northern Agriculture Value Chain Programme

News in brief:

-FG, IFAD and AFD fast-track $158m Northern agriculture value chain programme.

-Initiative targets up to 3.6 million farmers with a focus on climate resilience and market access.

The Federal Government, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the French Development Agency (AFD) have intensified efforts to fast-track the implementation of the Value Chain Programme in Northern Nigeria (VCN).

The renewed commitment was reaffirmed at a high-level stakeholder engagement held recently in Abuja, focused on accelerating the programme’s start-up phase.

Programme Targets Nine Northern States

The VCN is an eight-year flagship intervention scheduled from 2026 to 2034, designed to strengthen inclusive, climate-resilient, and nutrition-sensitive agricultural value chains.

The programme will be implemented across nine states: Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara.

Co-funded by IFAD and AFD, and executed in collaboration with the Federal Government and participating states, the initiative builds on previous interventions to drive food security, employment, and rural transformation.

FG Emphasises Value Chain Development and Coordination

Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, said the programme reflects the government’s commitment to inclusive agricultural growth through coordinated partnerships.

He stressed the need for stronger alignment among federal and state institutions, alongside development partners, to ensure effective implementation and timely disbursement of funds.

“With the coming of VCN, we are determined to move beyond primary production to building resilient value chains where farmers are linked to markets, value is added locally, and post-harvest losses are minimised,” he said.

Strategic Response to Poverty and Food Insecurity

Abdullahi described the VCN as a targeted response to poverty, unemployment, and food insecurity in northern Nigeria.

He noted that the programme would provide essential infrastructure, institutional support, and accountability mechanisms needed to unlock the region’s agricultural potential.

The minister also urged participating states to take full ownership of the initiative to ensure meaningful impact at the grassroots level, particularly for farmers, youth, and rural enterprises.

Millions of Farmers to Benefit

In her remarks, IFAD Country Director, Dr Dede Ekoue, disclosed that the $158 million programme is expected to benefit between 2.6 million and 3.6 million smallholder farmers and rural entrepreneurs.

She explained that the intervention spans the entire agricultural value chain, including production, processing, services, distribution, and waste-to-wealth initiatives.

Ekoue noted that the programme integrates climate-smart agriculture, adaptation strategies, gender inclusion, youth entrepreneurship, and digital innovation.

She added that the stakeholder engagement aimed to eliminate implementation bottlenecks and accelerate approvals through coordinated action among all actors.

“For VCN to function effectively, from inputs reaching farms to produce accessing markets, each component of the institutional value chain must operate in synergy,” she said.

Stakeholders Push for Seamless Implementation

The engagement brought together officials from the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security and Finance, development partners, and commissioners for agriculture and finance from participating states.

Stakeholders emphasised the importance of collaboration, efficiency, and institutional synergy in ensuring the programme delivers sustainable outcomes across northern Nigeria.