By Felicia Imohimi
Stakeholders have validated the Federal Government, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and French Development Agency (AFD)Value Chain in Northern Nigeria programme (VCN) complementary studies.
The programme is aimed at contributing sustainably to poverty reduction, enhanced nutrition and better resilience of rural and most vulnerable populations in the north.
The stakeholders, who spoke at the validation workshop on Monday in Abuja, said VCN complementary studies were to provide a better in-depth understanding of the context in which the project would be implemented.
The studies also identified the leverage points as well as challenges faced.
Bukar Musa, Director, Project Coordinating Unit, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said VCN was a Federal Government programme aimed at improving livelihoods of half a million smallholder farmers and uplift vulnerable populations.
Musa said the target could be achieved by strengthening value chains, enhancing agricultural productivity and increase access to market.
He said the project was in line with the Presidential Emergency Declaration on Food Security, National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP), among others.
Musa said that VCN implementation would reduce poverty, enhance nutrition and resilience of rural population in nine northern states of Borno, Bauchi , Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoko, Yobe and Zamfara.
Mrs Dede Ekoue, Country Director, IFAD Nigeria, said the complementary studies conducted by Food and Agriculture Innovation Centre (FAO) would strengthen the implementation of already developed project implementation manual.
Ekoue said the studies were funded by IFAD and AFD.
“This collaborative and systematic approach with development partners and UN agencies fosters the scaling up and efficiency on investment in support of national priorities for agro-food systems transformation and sustainable development.
“This development focuses on humanitarian, development, peace nexus in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNDSDCF) and AFD Nigeria’ Country Intervention Strategy,” she said.
Ekoue said VCN programme, which was expected to be to be signed in August, 2025 would directly reach estimated 456,000 smallholder farmers and rural entrepreneurs, among others.
Ms Sally Ibrahim, Project Manager, representing AFD’s Country Director in Nigeria, Xavier Muron said the workshop marked the successful completion of the studies intended to facilitate the operational implementation of VCN programme.
Ibrahim said the programme aimed to promote inclusive economic opportunities for vulnerable population and tackle food and nutritional insecurity issues in the north.
“AFD current support to the sector in Nigeria focuses mainly on improving rural access and agri-markets.
“This future support to VCN programme alongside IFAD represents a significant step to create synergies with other agro-food development programmes implemented by the government in order to address the challenges and the multiple fragilities facing agricultural sector,” she said.
Mr Braimah Tofiq, Operation Officer, FAO, said complementary studies conducted by the organisation were to deepen and fine-tune the project implementation strategies.
Tofiq, who identified northern part of the country as facing soaring rate of malnutrition, listed key interventions to overcome the challenges as promoting nutrient-rich crops, improving maternal and child nutrition and encouraging backyard and small-scale animal husbandry.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that highlight of the workshop was the presentation of the VCN complementary studies by Line Kasperson, Investment Support Officer, FAO Investment Centre Rome.
NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA