The Nigerian government says over five million smallholder farmers have benefitted from the IFAD-supported agricultural programmes. 

The federal government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (FG/IFAD) funded the programmes, including Value Chain Development Programme; Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in Niger Delta; Climate Adaptation and Agribusiness Support Programme; and Rural Finance Institution-Building Programme.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said this in Abuja on Tuesday at the National Launch of the Value Chain North (VCN) Project Design Mission funded by the FG, IFAD and French Development Agency (AFD).

Mr Kyari said the programmes generated positive impacts despite challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, drought, and flood.

The minister said the VCN was an intervention that would contribute to sustainable poverty reduction, enhance nutrition and a resilient rural economy in some northern states.

He said the project, co-financed by IFAD, AFD, and other development partners, would boost food production and climate resilience while reducing post-harvest losses and enhancing food security and nutrition in the states with fragile situations.

“The VCN design mission is in line with the food systems transformation agenda and the recent Presidential declaration of emergency in Nigeria’s food sector, which require a multi-sectoral, multifaceted approach if we are to succeed,” Mr Kyari explained. “VCN is in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals one two, three and 13 among others.”

Mr Kyari added that it was also aligned with the National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy, Agricultural Sector Food Security and Nutrition Strategy, National Development Plan, and National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP).

“The intervention is also in line with IFAD Policies and Corporate Priorities in the areas of its Strategic Framework, Strategy and Action Plan on Environment and Climate Change 2019 to 2025, and Nutrition Action Plan 2019 to 2025, among others,” said the minister.

He called on the design team to pay attention to the voices of smallholder farmers, women, youth and vulnerable groups, the private sector, off-takers, agribusinesses, financial institutions, and service providers.

Dede Ekoue, IFAD country director, said VCD would engage 456,000 beneficiaries, equivalent to 91,000 households in the northern states, to boost food production, climate adaptive capacity and resilience, among others.

Ms Ekoue said, “It is in line with NATIP and the president’s agenda for agribusiness transformation. The project’s ambition is to enhance the integration of farmers in agribusiness value chains while taking specific measures to facilitate youth and women agric-entrepreneurship, foster partnership with the private sector, (and) modernising agriculture through the use of digital solutions.

“This aims to harness the potential of the agri-food system for promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth (and) increase job creation and income. These can be achieved through the development of stronger, better integrated, inclusive and resilient value chains that boost rural development.”

(NAN)