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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government has distributed post-harvest equipment to Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP)-supported farmers and agribusiness groups in Nasarawa State.
Speaking during the flag-off, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Abubakar Kyari said the intervention would reduce post-harvest loss, empower women and youth farmers, encourage competitiveness, and boost productivity.
Kyari, in a statement issued yesterday by the Head of Information Unit, Ezeaja Ikemefuna, stated that the equipment would also support enterprise growth, deepen market participation, and expand opportunities for rural employment.
He revealed that the scheme, implemented with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), aims to address structural constraints in the rice and cassava value chains through integrated investments in production, aggregation, processing, infrastructure, market access and institutional strengthening, as well as align with the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP).
The minister underscored the programme’s commitment to the President Bola Tinubu-led administration’s drive towards agricultural transformation, saying, “agriculture must deliver results—food for our people, jobs for our youth, income for our farmers, and stability for our nation.”
He said that under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, agriculture is being transformed into a modern, market-oriented and private-sector-driven enterprise, with Nasarawa State leading the way.
Kyari identified the Nasarawa Agro-Commodity Company (NASACCO) and the One-Stop Investment Centre (OSIC) as key initiatives strengthening the state’s investment climate.
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He lauded Governor Abdullahi Sule for his commitment to large-scale cultivation, noting the state’s efforts to boost domestic food supply, stabilise prices, conserve foreign exchange and create jobs.
The minister pointed to visible results of federal-state partnership, including functional aggregation centres, modern processing facilities and strengthened producer organisations. “These interventions are creating jobs, stabilising rural incomes, and strengthening Nasarawa State’s contribution to national food security,” he said.
In his remarks, Governor Abdullahi Sule stated that the state government has aligned its agricultural programmes with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the sector, which is geared towards economic diversification and the creation of wealth for Nigerian farmers.
He said the reforms in the agriculture sector would empower youth and women farmers in the state and also ensure increased production and locally generated revenue.
In her welcome address, the National Programme Coordinator, FGN/IFAD – Value Chain Development Programme, Dr Fatima Aliyu, stated that the programme would assist rice and cassava smallholder farmers through a value-chain approach to enhance productivity, promote agro-processing, and increase access to markets.
She added that the initiative would transform the agricultural sector of rural Nigeria by achieving food security, increasing incomes, and creating new employment opportunities.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, chairman, Ashangwa Rice Innovation Platform, Patience Wombo, pledged that the association would maintain and protect all facilities provided by the VCDP to ensure an increase in the production, packaging, and distribution of agricultural products.
