In a bold move to revitalise its agricultural sector and empower rural communities, the Bauchi State Government has officially signed on to a $158.15 million Value Chain North (VCN) Programme, a transformative initiative spearheaded by the Federal Government in partnership with international development organisations.
The agreement, part of an eight-year investment plan, is aimed at modernising agriculture, enhancing food security, and creating jobs across nine northern states. The programme is jointly funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the French Development Agency (AFD), and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Speaking on the development, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed lauded the initiative as a significant milestone in the state’s journey toward agribusiness-led economic growth. He expressed optimism that the programme would significantly improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, particularly women, youth, and persons with disabilities, who remain the backbone of rural food systems.
“We are fully committed to harnessing this opportunity to strengthen our agricultural value chains, from production and processing to storage and market access,” Governor Mohammed said. “This is in line with our vision to position agriculture as a catalyst for inclusive development.”
The Value Chain North programme was officially launched following Vice President Kashim Shettima’s advocacy at the UN Food Systems Summit in Rome in July 2023, where he called for increased international support for Nigeria’s agri-food transformation. The programme aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises productivity, prosperity, and people-centered development.
Vice President Shettima described the agreement as a strategic move to not only boost domestic food production but also feed into Nigeria’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs), ultimately reducing the export of raw agricultural goods and enhancing value-added exports.
According to programme details released by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the VCN initiative will directly benefit over 3.1 million household members and create more than 30,000 sustainable jobs across the nine participating states — Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara.
In addition to job creation, the programme will promote climate-smart agriculture, digital innovations, and market-driven farming systems, ensuring resilience and long-term sustainability for farming communities.
The implementation phase is set to commence immediately, with Bauchi State expected to receive technical support and infrastructure development that will scale up production in critical value chains such as rice, maize, groundnuts, and horticulture.
Stakeholders in the agricultural sector have welcomed the development, describing it as a “game changer” for Northern Nigeria’s economy and a lifeline for millions of farmers grappling with challenges ranging from low productivity to market access.
As the programme kicks off, Bauchi is positioning itself as a key player in Nigeria’s drive to achieve food sufficiency, reduce poverty, and stimulate rural development through robust and inclusive agricultural investments.
