At least about 3.6 million small holder farmers, and rural entrepreneurs across nine states of northern Nigeria will benefit from the Start-Up Value Chain Programme of the federal government.
Speaking at the high-level stakeholders engagement meeting in Abuja, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sabi Abdullahi said the eight-year programme, designed to transform agriculture into a viable business, enhance food and economic interdependent is a $158 million project, with the support of International Fund For Agriculture Development, IFAD and Agence Française de Développement, AFD.
The High-Level Stakeholders Engagement on the Accelerated Start-Up of the Value Chain Programme in Northern Nigeria, VCN
brought together Commissioners of Agriculture from nine states of the North-East and North-West, of the country, senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Federal Ministry of Finance, and co-financiers to align priorities, clarify responsibilities, and fast-track implementation processes critical to the programme’s take-off.
Participants reaffirmed the strategic importance of the programme in addressing structural challenges in agriculture sector, while driving sustainable rural transformation.
The VCN is an eight-year flagship investment, starting 2026–2034. It is designed to strengthen inclusive, climate-resilient, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture value chains across nine northern states of Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara states.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav).

