The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and German Development Cooperation (GIZ) have reaffirmed their commitment to fostering gender-inclusive, climate-smart agriculture in Nigeria. Their renewed partnership focuses on innovative financing models designed to empower women, youth, and smallholder farmers.

During a key Validation Workshop in Abuja, stakeholders convened to finalize a transformative financing framework aimed at ensuring equitable access to agricultural resources. This framework, crafted by NADF and GIZ, moves beyond traditional credit systems by integrating mechanization, digital tools, extension services, advisory support, and risk-sharing mechanisms.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, praised the initiative as more than just policy documentation, emphasizing its role in strengthening resilience, inclusivity, and prosperity within Nigeria’s food systems. He highlighted a major mechanization program, announcing an initial rollout of 2,000 John Deere tractors, with plans to scale up to 10,000 over five years. His vision prioritizes equitable distribution, particularly benefiting women, youth, and small-scale farmers, while leveraging digital platforms to expand financial accessibility.

“We must go beyond conventional approaches. Financial literacy and digital solutions can deliver tailored products to underserved communities,” Kyari stated.

NADF’s Executive Secretary, Mohammed Ibrahim, reinforced the inclusive nature of the initiative, expressing a clear ambition to ensure financing reaches every Nigerian farmer, regardless of location or circumstance. He emphasized that the workshop transitions the project from draft to validation and refinement.

“This is not just validation—it’s co-creation,” Ibrahim remarked. “We are building a financing model that meets farmers where they are and takes them where they deserve to be.”

Ibrahim challenged stakeholders to explore innovative delivery models, such as bundling insurance, financing, and mechanization into “pay-as-you-plant” services and utilizing mobile wallets for microloans, especially to support women.

The initiative aligns with continental agricultural strategies like the Kampala Declaration and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) 2026–2035, which focus on increasing productivity, reducing post-harvest losses, enhancing intra-African trade, and empowering youth and women.

Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, underscored the critical role of women in agriculture, noting, “Women constitute 70 to 75 percent of the agricultural workforce and produce 80 percent of our food, yet they receive only a fraction of available credit and land.”
This revitalized commitment sets the stage for a more inclusive and sustainable agricultural future in Nigeria, leveraging innovative financing to drive equity and productivity across the sector.