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Fed Govt, IFAD to engage 91,000 households in food production

No fewer than 91,000 households would be engaged by the Federal government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in northern states to boost food production, climate adaptive capacity, among others.

The Country Director, IFAD, Mrs Dede Ekoue stated this in Abuja at the national launch  of the design mission for Value Chain in Northern Nigeria (VCN), funded by the Federal government, IFAD and French Development Agency (AFD).

Ekoue noted that the programme which is in line with the president's agenda for agribusiness transformation would 456,000 beneficiaries an equivalent of 91,000 households in the northern states.

She said the design mission will help to test on the field how best to achieve the objective, leverage on past success and existing best practices.

According to her, the project's ambition is to enhance the integration of farmers in agribusiness value chains.

This, she said, would facilitate women and youth agric entrepreneurship, foster partnership with the private sector, modernising agriculture through the use of digital solutions.

''This aims to harness the potential of agrifood systems for promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth , increase job creation and income through development of stronger, better integrated, inclusive and resilient value chains that boost rural development.

In his remarks, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, who was represented by the Director, Programme Coordinating Unit (PCU), Mr Bukar Musa, said the VCN is in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) one, two, three and 13 among others.

 Kyari added that the VCN is 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.

 That it was also aligned to 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," he said.