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 commitment was reaffirmed on Tuesday in Abuja at a high-level stakeholder engagement on the accelerated start-up of the programme.

The VCN is an eight-year flagship intervention (2026–2034) aimed at strengthening inclusive, climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive agricultural value chains across nine northern states.

The states are Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara.

Co-funded by IFAD and AFD and to be implemented by the federal government and participating states, the programme builds on previous agricultural interventions to enhance food security, generate employment and drive sustainable rural transformation.

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to inclusive agricultural growth and resilient food systems through coordinated partnerships.

He stressed the need for stronger alignment among federal and state institutions, as well as development partners, to meet key conditions for programme effectiveness and timely disbursement.

Mr Abdullahi described the VCN as a strategic response to poverty, unemployment and food insecurity in northern Nigeria, anchored on building efficient and competitive value chains.

“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.

He added that the programme would provide critical coordination, infrastructure, institutional strengthening and accountability mechanisms required to unlock the region’s agricultural potential.

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

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

Ms Ekoue said the intervention would cover the full agricultural value chain, including production, processing, services, distribution and waste-to-wealth activities.

According to her, the programme integrates climate-smart agriculture, adaptation strategies, gender inclusion, youth entrepreneurship and digital innovation.

She said the engagement was designed to accelerate approvals and remove implementation bottlenecks through coordinated action across federal and state 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.

The engagement brought together officials of the federal ministries of agriculture and food security and finance and development partners, as well as commissioners for agriculture and finance from participating states. 

(NAN)