FG/IFAD VCDP Boosts Rice Yields, Empowers Farmers

Tosin Kolade
Oct, Wed, 2025

Agriculture

FG/IFAD VCDP boosts rice yields, empowers farmers

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By Felicia Imohimi

The Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) has increased rice yields in Nigeria from the national average of 2–2.5 tonnes per hectare to between five and six tonnes per hectare.

Mrs Dede Ekoue, IFAD Country Director, disclosed this at the 12th Joint Supervision Mission Inception Workshop of the FG/IFAD-VCDP on Tuesday in Abuja.

She said the achievement was a demonstration of the transformative potential of improved agricultural technologies and practices.

Ekoue highlighted other key accomplishments of the programme, including market linkages through the Commodity Alliance Forum (CAF), sustainable innovations, inclusive empowerment, and climate resilience initiatives.

She said the programme has generated over $40 million for more than 16,000 rice farmers through 878 formal agreements with off-takers.

According to her, these sales were facilitated through the project’s flagship Public-Private-Producer Partnership (4Ps) platform, which has strengthened farmer–market linkages and created win-win partnerships with the private sector.

“On sustainable innovations, women and youth are converting agricultural by-products into value-added products such as briquettes and animal feed, turning waste into wealth while reducing environmental degradation,” Ekoue said.

She added that through the Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP), the project promotes climate-smart practices, digital tools for weather and market information, and investments in land development, irrigation, and erosion control.

Ekoue further said over 39,000 beneficiaries, including 12,000 youth and 22,000 women, have been trained in income-generating activities, equipping them with skills to thrive in agribusiness and entrepreneurship.

She noted that these achievements reflect the power of collaboration between federal and state governments, farmers, communities, the private sector, and IFAD.

According to her, the achievements contribute to the objectives of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the National Agriculture Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP), as well as the Kampala CAADP Declaration adopted by African Union member states in January 2025.

Ekoue explained that the mission would follow standard supervision objectives, including reviewing the implementation of recommendations from the previous year and assessing progress in each area.

She added that the exercise would also identify best practices and challenges, while formulating recommendations to guide activities for the coming year.

She urged stakeholders to focus on solutions, ensuring that VCDP results endure, its models are scaled, and its benefits continue to reach rural communities long after the programme ends.

Mrs Adebola Iluromi, Director of the Federal Department of Development Partners Projects (FD-DPP), Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said VCDP continues to stand out as one of the Federal Government and IFAD’s flagship agricultural initiatives.

She said the programme is aimed at improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and enhancing food security nationwide.

Iluromi added that the project, implemented in nine states, focuses on rice and cassava value chains, targeting production, processing, and marketing segments.

“These two crops remain essential to our national Food Security Agenda, and we are proud that through VCDP, many Nigerian households now have improved access to these staple foods,” she said.

She assured that the ministry remains committed to sustaining and consolidating the project’s achievements across all states.

“As the implementing agency, we will continue to work closely with the National Programme Management Unit (NPMU) to ensure that VCDP gains are maintained.

“We will also ensure its successes contribute to our broader national goals of food security, economic diversification, and rural transformation.

“We are confident that with continued partnership and support from IFAD, we can scale up these impacts to reach more communities and households nationwide within the period of the programme,” she said.

Dr Fatima Aliyu, National Programme Coordinator of VCDP, said the programme has successfully achieved its development goals, enhancing food security and increasing the incomes of smallholder farmers on a sustainable scale. (NAN)

Edited by Tosin Kolade

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