World Bank, FG target shift from subsistence to commercial farming

The World Bank and the Federal Government are working to transform subsistence farming into a viable business capable of generating higher incomes and creating decent jobs for Nigerian farmers.

The initiative, under the Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains for Growth (AGROW) Project, is designed to boost agricultural productivity, strengthen market access and connect farmers with buyers.

The World Bank Task Team Lead, Hardwick Charlie, disclosed this at the opening of the project’s first Implementation Support Mission in Minna on Monday.

Charlie said the project would support targeted farmers to adopt commercial farming practices, improve production and increase their earnings through stronger links with off-takers.

He added that the initiative would also support the development of high-yielding crop varieties to enable farmers to increase output and improve profitability.

The event featured stakeholder consultations on the draft Project Implementation Manual (PIM) and the Agribusiness De-risking and Market Linkage Facility (ADMLF) Operations Manual.

The National Project Coordinator of AGROW, Ibrahim Alkhali, said the consultations were essential to developing practical guidelines that would ensure the project delivered benefits to farmers, agribusiness operators, women and young entrepreneurs across participating states.

He explained that the PIM would establish operational procedures, institutional responsibilities, resource management and monitoring mechanisms for effective project implementation.

According to him, the ADMLF Operations Manual would guide support for eligible investments and strengthen commercial relationships across agricultural value chains.

Alkhali called for clear and accessible procedures covering application requirements, assessment and approval processes, matching contributions and complaint resolution mechanisms.

He urged farmers, cooperative representatives, private sector operators and government institutions to scrutinise the draft manuals and identify gaps, unclear provisions and potential implementation challenges.

The coordinator stressed that the experiences of farmers and agribusiness operators were necessary to ensure that the proposed guidelines reflected realities in the agricultural sector.

He also called for adequate consideration of women and young people through improved access to information, technical support and economic opportunities.

Alkhali further emphasised transparency, fairness and accountability in the implementation process, insisting that applications must be assessed using clear criteria and conflicts of interest properly managed.

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He said environmental and social safeguards must also be integrated into the project to protect communities, land and the environment while promoting sustainable livelihoods.

The coordinator commended the World Bank, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Niger State Government and other stakeholders for their contributions to the development of the project documents.

Also speaking, Niger State Commissioner for Agriculture, Isah Sidi-Rijau, commended the Federal Government and the World Bank for supporting agricultural development initiatives in the state.

Similarly, a representative of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Emmanuel Akogun, said the workshop was aimed at strengthening agricultural value chains and helping farmers, processors and agribusinesses expand their operations.

He added that the initiative would create employment opportunities and improve food security.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the first Implementation Support Mission is scheduled to run from November 2 to November 13.