The federal government in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the French Development Agency (AFD) has earmarked $183.1 million for the Value Chain Programme in Northern Nigeria (VCN).
The initiative, designed to strengthen agricultural productivity and market access, aimed to reduce poverty, enhance nutrition, and improve resilience among vulnerable rural populations in nine northern states of Borno, Bauchi , Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoko, Yobe and Zamfara.
The VCN is an eight-year programme set to be signed in August 2025, with implementation expected to commence thereafter.
The initiative will directly benefit an estimated 456,000 smallholder farmers and rural entrepreneurs, with a strong focus on inclusivity where 40 per cent of beneficiaries will be women, 60 per cent youth, 10 per cent persons with disabilities and five per cent Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returnees.
The programme will be financed by IFAD, AFD with co-funding by the federal government and is also projected to indirectly support 3.1 million household members.
Speaking at the validation workshop in Abuja yesterday, director of the projects coordinating unit, ministry of agriculture and food security, Bukar Musa, stated that VCN would play a critical role in strengthening value chains, boosting agricultural productivity, and expanding market access.
Musa emphasised the programme’s alignment with Nigeria’s National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP), the Presidential Emergency Declaration on Food Security, and the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
In her remarks, IFAD Nigeria country director, Dede Ekoue said that the project implementation manual has been developed to guide execution in the nine states with complementary studies, funded by IFAD, AFD, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United (FAO).
“We are front-loading the work that needs to be done after signature of program documents as we understand the urgency in launching the implementation of the VCN Program in support of government ongoing efforts for sustainable and inclusive development in the North”, Ekoue said.
Project manager for AFD, Sally Ibrahim reiterated AFD’s commitment to fostering economic opportunities for vulnerable populations and tackling food and nutritional insecurity.
She noted that AFD’s involvement in the VCN programme complements its broader efforts in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, particularly in rural access and market infrastructure development.
FAO Nigeria representative, Braimah Tofiq, stressed that addressing malnutrition in Northern Nigeria is a priority.
FAO’s studies for the VCN programme recommend promoting nutrient-rich crops, maternal and child nutrition initiatives, backyard gardening, and small-scale livestock farming to combat rising malnutrition rates.
The VCN programme will promote climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive production, strengthening agricultural value chains for staple crops, cash crops and horticulture.
Key initiatives include; community-based seed production and the promotion of biofortified seeds and organic fertilizers and strengthening linkages between farmers and input suppliers to ensure access to quality agricultural inputs.
Others are encouraging entrepreneurship, particularly among youth and women, by integrating them into profitable value chains and enhancing food security and nutrition through improved post-harvest handling, value addition, and food fortification.
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