UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development has expressed readiness to leverage £204 million in private sector finance and agricultural investment in Nigeria.

Adiya Ode, the country representative for Propcom+, a programme funded by the UK FCDO, disclosed this in Katsina during a stakeholders’ meeting on Monday.

Propcom+ is UK Aid’s eight-year climate-resilient agricultural market development programme. It aims to support economic growth for smallholders and SMEs in conflict- and climate-affected regions.

“We’re improving the resilience of smallholders and small-scale entrepreneurs to climate change while increasing productivity and incomes, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and maintaining natural ecosystems.

“The programme, which runs from 2023 to 2030, supports climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture and forestry that benefits people, the climate and nature.

“It also aims to transform Nigeria’s rural economy by addressing environmental, social and economic challenges in the country’s food and land-use system,” Ms Ode said.

Ms Ode explained that the programme will achieve this by increasing productivity, improving nutrition and food security, enhancing climate resilience, reducing emissions, and protecting nature.

“It will also help tackle some of Nigeria’s underlying drivers of conflict and insecurity, supporting sustainable, pro-poor, climate-resilient growth in selected rural markets.

“We work as a ‘market facilitator’, identifying constraints in market systems and enabling changes that help rural markets benefit poor and climate-vulnerable smallholders and entrepreneurs. Propcom+ aims to increase the incomes and climate resilience of 3.79 million poor and vulnerable Nigerians, 50 per cent of whom will be women.

“The programme aims to support over four million people in adopting sustainable agricultural practices while about £95 million was earmarked for the programme,” she added.

She revealed that the programme is already active in Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Plateau, Gombe and Adamawa. Katsina has just been approved as a beneficiary.

Ms Ode said this development followed a meeting between Governor Dikko Radda and the FCDO, discussing the programme’s implementation in Katsina.

“Today, we had a very good meeting with farmers, businessmen, processors, academics, women’s groups and cooperatives. They support the decision to implement the programme in Katsina.

“In the coming days, we’ll meet government officials to better understand the challenges and how we can address them,” Ms Ode stated.

According to her, Propcom+ aims to tackle three major challenges: low agricultural productivity, conflict over natural resources, and the impact of climate change.

She noted that the programme seeks to transform the rural economy and increase smallholder farmers’ and SMEs’ incomes, ensuring people can earn a decent living and reduce poverty.

(NAN)