Nigerian govt allocates $500M to boost food security, agribusiness growth

Nigerian Government boosts farmers with $500M AGROW programme, supporting loans, job creation, and private-sector investment to improve food security

The Nigerian government has earmarked $500 million to support farmers and strengthen food security through the Sustainable Agricultural Value-Chains for Growth (AGROW) programme.

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The initiative is anchored by the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), and the World Bank Group.

Mr. Eniola Akindele, PFSCU Manager of Data and Input Assessments, disclosed the funding on Tuesday during a one-day Agroecological Zonal Workshop for Sudan-Savannah states, held in Kano. Participating states included Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Kaduna, Katsina, Gombe, and Bauchi.

Akindele said the AGROW programme is designed to ensure access to loans for farmers, create jobs, and encourage private-sector investment in the agricultural sector, supporting the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda for food security and industrialisation.

“We must not only look at one side of the value-chain; we must examine it holistically. We follow it up from production, to processing, and finally to the market and consumption.

That is why this programme is coming in, and that is why we are here,” he stated.

He added that the workshop provided a platform for stakeholders to brainstorm on challenges facing agribusiness, evaluate existing initiatives, and proffer actionable solutions to tackle food insecurity across the region.

Akindele emphasised that the Federal Government is committed to involving farmers in policy formation and decision-making processes to improve productivity and agribusiness outcomes.

“The essence of the workshop is to review AGROW programmes in the Sudan-Savannah zone, revalidate initiatives, and ensure that whatever actions are being taken to help farmers are specific and result-oriented,” he said.

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The AGROW programme represents a strategic effort to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural value chains, increase productivity, and enhance economic opportunities for farmers across multiple states.

Quadri Olaitan