Nigeria has launched a five-year agricultural framework aimed at strengthening food value chains, raising farm productivity, creating jobs and improving food and nutrition security for millions of people.

The Nigeria AgriConnect Compact was launched by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the World Bank Group and development partners, including the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The framework is expected to mobilise an estimated US$5 billion over five years from government, development partners and the private sector. It targets priority crop and livestock value chains, with ambitions to improve food and nutrition security for nearly three million people and create 2.56 million jobs by 2031.

AgriConnect is designed to help smallholder farmers move from subsistence farming towards commercially viable surplus production. The initiative will focus on strengthening farmer organisations, improving market access, expanding access to finance and digital tools, and increasing private-sector participation across Nigeria’s food systems.

IFAD Country Director for Nigeria Mohamed El-Ghazaly said the organisation would contribute its experience in rural transformation by supporting farmer collectives, post-harvest management and stronger commercial links between producers and markets.

The funding is expected to support improvements in smallholder productivity alongside policy reforms and expanded access to credit, insurance and blended finance for farmers and agribusinesses.

Raising Agricultural Productivity

Agriculture contributes about 26% of Nigeria’s GDP and employs approximately 30% of the country’s workforce. Nigeria has an estimated 37 million hectares of arable land, although around half is currently underutilised, according to the announcement.

AgriConnect comes as farmers and consumers continue to face pressures from food inflation, insecurity and climate-related disruptions. More than 31 million Nigerians are reported to be experiencing acute food insecurity.

The Compact has established specific productivity targets, including a 30% increase in average yields for rice, maize and wheat and a 35% increase for cassava. Targets have also been established for livestock productivity and reproductive rates covering cattle, small ruminants, pigs and poultry.

IFAD’s existing support in Nigeria includes the Value Chain Development Programme and the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project in the Niger Delta, while a new Value Chain Programme for Northern Nigeria is also planned. Together, these programmes represent nearly US$392 million in IFAD financing.

AgriConnect is part of the World Bank Group’s wider plan to double annual agriculture and agribusiness financing to US$9 billion while mobilising a further US$5 billion from partners.

The initiative has attracted support from organisations including IFAD, the African Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, Bayer and Google, creating a broader partnership around agricultural productivity, finance, technology and market access.

For Nigeria’s smallholder farmers, the success of the framework will depend on translating investment into better access to inputs, finance, technology, infrastructure and reliable markets while strengthening the country’s ability to produce and process more food locally.