Vice President Kashim Shettima has received the final report of the National Technical Working Group (NTWG) on the World Bank-supported 500 million dollar Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains for Growth (AGROW) Programme. 

Receiving the document on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the Vice President formally launched the implementation phase of the initiative, designed to integrate smallholder farmers directly into national economic planning.

The AGROW programme is to bridge the disconnect between agricultural producers and the institutional policy frameworks that govern farm-gate prices and market value. 

Developed through seven zonal consultations involving 32 participating states, the initiative reflects an expanded role for sub-national governments in expanding rural infrastructure, extension coverage, and processing capacities. 

With agriculture contributing approximately 23 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employing 34 per cent of the national workforce, Shettima noted that expanding farm productivity remains vital for easing food inflation, protecting foreign exchange reserves, and driving industrial raw material supply.

Under the funding structure, 71 per cent of the total financial package, equivalent to 355 million dollars, will be managed directly by state governments to drive project execution at the grassroots level. 

While acknowledging the strong state-level interest, the Vice President noted that available resources remain insufficient to resolve decades of accumulated deficits across extension networks, processing centres, and rural roads. 

With the submission of the report, the NTWG was formally dissolved, transferring operational leadership to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, which chairs the National Steering Committee and manages the Project Coordination Office.

Sub-national and federal leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the implementation phase. Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule confirmed full backing from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, while Kaduna State Deputy Governor Hadiza Balarabe noted that her state allocates over 13 per cent of its annual budget to agriculture and is setting up state-level coordination units. 

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Taiwo Oyedele, stated that the AGROW framework will enhance macroeconomic stability, expand food production, and generate rural employment as financing agreements and legal processes are finalised.

Source: TheAuthority
Image Credit: The Guardians