ABUJA/Nigeria: The Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) has created more than 11,000 permanent jobs through its agribusiness support initiatives, significantly strengthening livelihoods in rural communities across Nigeria.
Speaking at a media roundtable in Abuja, the National Programme Coordinator, Dr. Fatima Aliyu, said the programme had generated 11,890 permanent jobs, including 3,128 women, 2,710 men and 6,052 youths—who now operate their own agribusiness ventures.
Aliyu said the intervention has slowed rural-urban migration, especially among young people, while providing new income pathways for vulnerable women and persons with disabilities.
“Our main objective at VCDP is to move smallholder farmers from subsistence to micro-enterprises,” she said.
“Rice farmers benefiting from the project now produce five to six tonnes per hectare, while cassava farmers record about 30 tonnes per hectare.”
She noted that many youths trained under the programme now produce and market rice seeds and cassava stems, creating a network of young entrepreneurs and job creators across participating states.
Aliyu attributed the programme’s results to detailed profiling of beneficiaries, close engagement with federal and state governments, traditional and religious institutions, and sustained collaboration with the media. She added that the programme also prioritises continuous farmer training on good agricultural practices, dry-season rice production, and value chain financing.
She, however, listed insecurity, climate change, high input costs due to inflation and low literacy levels among farmers as major challenges slowing implementation.
The Programme Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor, Mr. Nura Lawal, said the FG–IFAD initiative focuses on rice and cassava value chains across nine states, Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Enugu and Taraba.
He said the programme is designed to boost productivity, improve market access, enhance value addition and create sustainable jobs, with deliberate emphasis on empowering women and youths through training, infrastructure support, climate-smart agriculture and improved market linkages.
Knowledge Management and Communication Advisor, Mrs Vera Onyilo, commended the media for consistently amplifying the achievements of the project since its inception in 2014.
The VCDP, a flagship partnership between the Federal Government and IFAD, continues to play a key role in Nigeria’s food security efforts by supporting smallholder farmers and driving inclusive rural development.
