Government to Host Food Security Summit, Pushes for 2-Year Extension of VCDP

The federal government has announced plans to host an agriculture and food security summit this year, aiming to gather a diverse community of stakeholders from the public, private, and social sectors to prioritize innovation and technology as key drivers for Inclusive Agri-Food System Transformation and Smallholder farmers’ empowerment.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, revealed this during a meeting with Dr. Donal Brown, Associate Vice President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Kyari also appealed to IFAD for a $5 million ASAP grant to support climate change adaptation in the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), along with a request for a two-year extension to enhance program disbursement.

Expressing appreciation for IFAD's commitment, Kyari highlighted the successful implementation of various programs, including the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise – Niger Delta (LIFE-ND), Value Chain Development Program (VCDP) Additional Financing (AF), and Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) Program, emphasizing the strong partnership between Nigeria and IFAD.

Kyari reiterated Nigeria's commitment to collaborating closely with IFAD on initiatives for agri-food system transformation and smallholder farmers’ empowerment, noting their participation in the United Nations Food System Stocktaking Moment in July, 2023.

In response, Dr. Brown emphasized Nigeria's significance as one of IFAD’s strongest partners and expressed gratitude for the government's pledge for the new IFAD replenishment cycle, IFAD 13. He emphasized the importance of strengthening existing relationships and exploring future support directions, including addressing project performance issues and designing new projects to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

Dr. Brown pledged support for additional financing for the second phase of the LIFE-ND project and expressed readiness to address efficiency issues in the VCDP project before considering its extension, highlighting IFAD's commitment to maximizing support for countries like Nigeria through replenishment cycles.