The Federal Government has pledged to create agricultural hub across the country through the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme and Value Chain Development Programme.(VCDP)

This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the Nigeria high-level event at the UN Food Systems Summit in Rome, Italy.

Speaking at the event, Vice President, Kashim Shettima,  said that the Federal Government would continue to advance the mobilisation of innovative financing to address key challenges to food systems priorities.

Shettima said this was in line with the Nigeria Food Systems Transformation Pathways.

“Considering the huge food finance gap in Nigeria, regional and global level, Nigeria is calling for the mobilisation of key national and international stakeholders’ formal sectors to build win-win partnerships.

“This is to catalyze transformative and substantial funding for the achievement of sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food systems, “he said.

In his remark, President of IFAD, Mr Alvaro Lario, said that to stimulate private investment, there was the need for governments and development agencies to lead the way with their own investments.

“We must also ensure these investments help small holders farmers increase their incomes, improve their access to markets, increase their production, as well as build their resilience.”

Dr Muhammad Al Jasser, President, Islamic Development Bank, and the President of African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, reiterated their commitment to support Nigeria in achieving its development aspirations.

They were represented by Mrs Hassatou N’Sele Vice-President AfDB.

The banks promised to support the country in implementing its future national development plans.

Mr Reji George, Vice-President, OLAM, a private partner of IFAD-supported VCDP,  said the partnership agreement between the organisations under the Commodity Alliance Forum (CAF), provided smallholder rice farmers with access to reliable and profitable market.

According to George, it will also in turn stimulate productive investments at the farm level.

He explained that the partnership involved commitments from Olam, IFAD, the Nigerian government and the farmers (individually and collectively).

Mrs Ejim Lovelyn, Vice President, CAF, representing farmers at the summit said CAF was an outstanding case of Public/Private/Producers Partnership (4Ps) of the VCDP.

“Through VCDP, smallholder farmers are contributing to financing priority actions for food system transformation and they benefit from value chain financing provided by the private sector while also growing their sales and productivity.”

The communiqué said two case studies were presented with a high-level panel discussion to showcase two innovative finance models aimed at transforming Nigeria’s food system.

First is the SAPZ programme, launched in 2022, is a US$ 521.00 million with the aim to promote inclusive agribusiness development and rural transformation by establishing agricultural-specific economic zones.

The programme targets 100,000 direct beneficiaries (90% smallholders; 10% small processors/ traders/service providers).

The second case study was the VCDP launched in 2016, US$ 329.00 million programme of the Government of Nigeria with funding from IFAD.

It aimed at improving the income and food security of poor rural households engaged in production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava on a sustainable basis.

The programme targets about 135, 000 direct beneficiaries, which comprises of 121, 000 smallholder farmers and 14, 000 processors/marketers.

It recommended that governments develop visions with the right policies, strategies and enabling environment to stimulate innovative food investments by all actors.

It said it would ensure an accelerated and coordinated implementation of the National Pathways for Food System Transformation.

It also recommended that private sector should scale up their innovative investments to support countries priorities on food systems.

“All actors both government, private sector, farmers organisations and international development partners must integrate social, environmental and health costs in their funding decisions.

“International development partners should foster Public-Private-Partnership.”