A new agricultural development initiative funded jointly by the EU and German Development Cooperation is adding €18.3 million to bring transformation into Nigeria’s rural economy through climate-smart, inclusive value chain systems.
The four-year project, entitled Agriculture Value Chain Facility – Transformative Agriculture Systems for Rural Economic Development (EU-VACE TARED), will start from October 2024 and run till September 2028.
The launch was done in Jos, Plateau State, on Tuesday, and the initiative will be co-financed by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the EU, while it is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
According to Andrea Ruediger, Cluster Coordinator for Rural Development Agriculture at GIZ, the project will be implemented in Cross River, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Oyo, Ondo, and Plateau States. Through this programme, food systems will be strengthened, jobs will be created, and gender equity in agriculture will be enhanced.
Ruediger explained that EU-VACE TARED focuses on improving the value chains of cocoa, tomato, ginger, and dairy through better productivity, competitiveness, and environmental sustainability. The programme targets 25,000 farmers, with a strong emphasis on women and youth inclusion, and is seeking to generate 10,000 green jobs while mobilizing over €2 million in agribusiness financing.
Three key pillars that drive this project include technical, policy, and financial interventions for climate adaptation and inclusive development.
EU-VACE TARED is a “major milestone” in the journey of transforming agriculture in Nigeria, said Karin Jansen, Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Abuja, during the programme’s regional launch for northern states.
“Germany and Nigeria are transforming the agriculture sector together because our partnership delivers mutual benefit,” said Jansen. “A resilient, food-secure, and economically viable Nigeria is a cornerstone of stability in West Africa.”
She further stated that the project aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Nigeria and the EU-Global Gateway, which both have trade, investment, and value-chain partnerships as a focus area.
Also speaking, Head of Cooperation for the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca, emphasized how the initiative represents a continuation of several years of successful collaboration by the EU and Germany in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
He said the programme would support the creation of sustainable dairy hubs to enhance animal health, feed quality, genetics, and finance, while reinforcing cooperatives and increasing local processing capacity.
“In this new project, we want to focus on value chains that balance economic opportunity with development challenges: sectors like dairy and cocoa that hold great potential but face significant hurdles,” De Luca said. In a welcome address, Commissioner for Livestock Development, Veterinary Services, and Fisheries, Sunday Akpa, who stood in for Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, said the project would resuscitate the dairy sector of the state to achieve self-sufficiency. EU-VACE TARED is envisioned to address the deep-seated challenges facing the agricultural sector of Nigeria, including low investment, weak processing, and limited value addition. It also aims to tackle the environmental threats like deforestation, desertification, and impacts of climate change and insecurity on rural productivity.
