By Augustine Aminu
The Federal Government has received the final report of the National Technical Working Group on the World Bank-supported $500 million Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains for Growth (AGROW) Programme, paving the way for the implementation phase.
Receiving the report at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Vice President Kashim Shettima said the AGROW initiative is designed to bridge the gap between farmers and national economic planning by placing agriculture at the centre of Nigeria’s development agenda.
Shettima noted that the programme, developed through consultations across seven geopolitical zones involving 32 states, will strengthen agricultural productivity, improve infrastructure, expand market access and attract private sector investment to transform agriculture from subsistence to commercial scale.
He disclosed that 71 per cent of the programme’s $500 million funding will be implemented through participating states, placing subnational governments at the forefront of delivery.
The Vice President formally accepted the report, dissolved the National Technical Working Group after completing its assignment, and directed the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to oversee implementation through the National Steering Committee.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, described AGROW as a game-changing intervention and pledged the ministry’s commitment to successful implementation under the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The World Bank also reaffirmed its support for the programme, expressing confidence that AGROW would enhance food security, create jobs, reduce poverty and strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural value chains.
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