Katsina State Governor and Chairman of the Northwest Governors’ Forum, Dikko Umaru Radda, has applauded the Federal Government’s signing of a $158.15 million financing agreement for the Value Chain Programme in Northern Nigeria (VCN).
The governor who attended the signing ceremony at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, described the development as a vital intervention that will significantly improve agricultural productivity across the northern region.
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“This initiative represents a transformative opportunity for our farmers and agribusinesses in Katsina State and across the entire northern region,” Governor Radda stated.
The governor also added that the VCN programme aligns perfectly with the state’s agricultural development agenda and will complement ongoing efforts to modernize farming practices, enhance value addition, and create sustainable livelihoods for the people.
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Governor Radda pledged Katsina State’s full commitment to the successful implementation of the programme, noting that his administration has already put in place necessary structures to maximize the benefits for local farmers, especially women, youth, and vulnerable groups.
The eight-year VCN initiative, which will be implemented immediately in nine northern states including Katsina, aims to sustainably reduce poverty, enhance nutrition, and improve resilience of rural and vulnerable populations. The programme is co-funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the French Development Agency (AFD), and the Government of Nigeria.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who presided over the signing ceremony, described the initiative as “a declaration of faith in the North—not as a region of deficits, but as a place of abundance,” adding that it fulfills President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s promise to reduce poverty, nourish Nigerians, and restore dignity to farming families across the beneficiary states.
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The Vice President emphasised that the programme will serve as a steady pipeline of raw materials for the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) currently under construction across Nigeria, shifting the country “from exporting raw produce to exporting value-added goods—creating jobs, wealth, and industrial stability.”
Equally speaking, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari said the signing of the financing agreement represents a significant milestone in the efforts to transform the agricultural landscape in Nigeria under the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration.
Mrs Dede Ekoue, Country Director of IFAD, noted that the programme will target about 3.1 million household members across the nine states, focusing on climate-smart agriculture, improving post-harvest handling, increasing access to business development services for youth and women agri-preneurs, and scaling up access to digital solutions for productivity.
The IFAD Country Director also added that the expected results include the creation of over 30,000 jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities for youths, women, and vulnerable groups, as well as the construction of over 229km of roads across the region to enhance access to markets.
Other governors present at the ceremony, including Babagana Zulum of Borno and Umar Namadi of Jigawa, joined Governor Radda in commending President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima for their leadership in implementing this transformative programme for northern Nigeria.
Also present at the meeting were some members of the National Assembly; Minister of State for Regional Development, Uba Maigari Ahmadu; the Regional Director of IFAD, Mr Bernard Mwinyel Hien; the Deputy Governors of Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano, Yobe and Bauchi States; heads of government agencies and representatives of development partners, among others.
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