IFAD Teams Up With AgriConnect to Boost Nigerian Agriculture
©Oyo State Governor media team
Ibadan, 28 September 2026. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) joined Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) and the World Bank Group (WBG) with development partners. They jointly announced the launch of the Nigeria AgriConnect Compact.
The compact is a national framework aimed at growing Nigeria’s agriculture sector. It seeks to create jobs and accelerate food and nutrition security across priority value chains. This effort aligns with national development goals and partnerships across government, finance, and development partners.
AgriConnect is a World Bank Group initiative designed to help smallholder farmers worldwide move from subsistence to surplus production. It focuses on strengthening agricultural ecosystems through stronger farmer organizations, improved market linkages, and enhanced access to finance across food systems, supporting sustainable rural growth.
Additionally, it promotes digital solutions and greater private sector participation across food systems to improve efficiency, transparency, and resilience in rural supply chains. It also emphasizes capacity building and market research to inform policy and practice. Together, these efforts help smallholders connect to reliable buyers and fair prices.
Aligned with Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda and NATIP, the AgriConnect Compact targets priority crop and livestock value chains. They have strong potential for productivity growth and job creation by developing value chains and strengthening market integration. Over the next five years, the Compact aims to improve food and nutrition security for nearly three million people.
IFAD is the only international financial institution focused on rural transformation and contributes to AgriConnect. Moreover, it works with smallholder farmers at the first mile of food systems to strengthen farmer collectives and post-harvest practices. ‘AgriConnect presents an opportunity to deepen support for smallholder farmers across Nigeria,’ said Mohamed El-Ghazaly, IFAD Country Director for Nigeria.
Nigeria’s agriculture sector remains central to the country’s economy. It contributes 26 per cent of GDP and employs about 30 per cent of the workforce.
With more than 31 million Nigerians facing acute food insecurity, driven by inflation, insecurity and climate shocks. AgriConnect comes at a critical time to boost agricultural production. It also aims to attract private investment and strengthen Nigeria’s regional food basket.
The Compact will mobilize an estimated US$5 billion over five years from government, development partners, and the private sector to finance stronger foundations for smallholder productivity.
It will also advance policy reforms and expand farmers and agribusinesses’ access to affordable credit, insurance, and blended finance through AgriConnect.
IFAD’s current portfolio in Nigeria includes the Value Chain Development Program (VCDP) and the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND).
It also includes the forthcoming Value Chain Program in Northern Nigeria (VCN), representing a combined IFAD financing commitment of close to US$392 million, AgriConnect.
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