The European Union (EU) and the German Development Cooperation have launched an €18.3 million agricultural development initiative to strengthen value chains, promote climate-smart practices, and drive inclusive growth across Nigeria’s rural economy.
The four-year programme, titled Agriculture Value Chain Facility – Transformative Agriculture Systems for Rural Economic Development (EU-VACE TARED), was unveiled in Jos, Plateau State. It will run from October 2024 to September 2028 and will be implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
Speaking at the launch, Cluster Coordinator for Rural Development Agriculture at GIZ, Andrea Ruediger, said the initiative aims to improve productivity, competitiveness, and sustainability in key agricultural value chains, including cocoa, tomatoes, ginger, and dairy.
She explained that the project will be implemented across Cross River, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Oyo, Ondo, and Plateau States, targeting 25,000 farmers, creating 10,000 new green jobs, and mobilising over €2 million for agribusiness development.
“The project will strengthen Nigeria’s food systems while promoting gender equity and youth inclusion in agriculture,” Ruediger said. She added that the initiative will work closely with the Federal Ministries of Budget and National Planning, Agriculture and Food Security, and Livestock Development.
In her remarks, the Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Abuja, Karin Jansen, described EU-VACE TARED as a milestone in Nigeria’s agricultural transformation journey.
“Germany and Nigeria are transforming the agriculture sector together because our partnership delivers mutual benefit,” she stated. “A resilient, food-secure, and economically viable Nigeria is a cornerstone of stability in West Africa.”
Jansen noted that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, both aimed at strengthening trade, investment, and value-chain partnerships.
Also speaking, the Head of Cooperation for the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca, said the project expands the longstanding EU-German collaboration in Nigeria’s agriculture sector.
He explained that the EU and Germany would support the creation of sustainable dairy hubs to provide services in animal health, feed, genetics, and finance, while enhancing cooperative systems and processing capacity.
“In this new project, we are focusing on value chains that combine economic potential with development challenges—sectors like dairy and cocoa that can drive inclusive growth,” he said.
Representing Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, the Commissioner for Livestock Development, Veterinary Services and Fisheries, Sunday Akpa, welcomed the project, describing it as a timely intervention to revive the state’s dairy sector.
The EU-VACE TARED initiative is expected to address long-standing constraints in Nigeria’s agriculture, including low investment, weak processing capacity, and limited value addition, while promoting environmental sustainability and resilience against climate change.
