The Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains for Growth (AGROW) Project, has called for stronger stakeholder collaboration to boost agricultural productivity and improve market access for farmers.
The National Project Coordinator, AGROW Project, Alhaji Ibrahim Alkhali, made the call at the opening of the first Implementation Support Mission in Minna on Monday.
The event also featured Stakeholder Consultation on the review of the draft Project Implementation Manual (PIM) and Agribusiness De-risking and Market Linkage Facility (ADMLF) Operations Manual
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Alkhali said the consultation was critical to developing practical implementation guidelines that would ensure the project delivered meaningful benefits to farmers, agribusiness operators, women and young entrepreneurs across participating states.
The coordinator explained that the PIM would define operational procedures, institutional responsibilities, resource management and monitoring mechanisms for effective project implementation.
He added that the ADMLF Operations Manual would guide support for eligible investments and strengthen commercial relationships within agricultural value chains.
Alkhali stressed the need for clear and accessible procedures, particularly on application requirements, assessment and approval processes, matching contributions and mechanisms for addressing complaints.
He urged farmers, cooperative representatives, private sector operators and government institutions to critically examine the draft manuals and identify gaps, unclear provisions and possible implementation challenges.
According to him, the experiences of farmers and agribusiness operators are essential in ensuring that the proposed procedures reflect realities in the agricultural sector.
Alkhali emphasised the need to give women and young people adequate consideration by ensuring their access to information, technical support and economic opportunities.
The coordinator also stressed the importance of transparency, fairness and accountability, noting that applicants must be assessed based on clear criteria while conflicts of interest must be properly managed.
He said environmental and social safeguards must be integrated into the project to ensure that agricultural investments promote sustainable livelihoods while protecting communities, land and the environment.
Alkhali commended the World Bank team, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Niger Government and other stakeholders for their contributions to the development of the project documents.
Also speaking, Mr Hardwick Charlie, World Bank Task Team Lead, said the project was designed to increase agricultural productivity and strengthen market connections between farmers and off-takers.
He explained that the initiative would help targeted farmers transition from subsistence farming to treating agriculture as a viable business capable of generating income and providing decent employment opportunities.
Charlie added that the project would support the development of high-yielding crop varieties to enable farmers to increase production and improve their earnings.
In his remarks, the Niger Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Isah Sidi-Rijau, commended the Federal Government and the World Bank for supporting agricultural development initiatives in the state.
Similarly, Mr Emmanuel Akogun, representative of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said the workshop was aimed at strengthening agricultural value chains to enable farmers, processors and agribusinesses to expand their operations.
He said the initiative would also create employment opportunities and enhance food security.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the first Implementation Support Mission was scheduled to hold from Nov. 2 to Nov. 13.
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