The World Bank approved a $500m International Development Association credit to boost Nigeria's agricultural sector under the Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value-Chains for Growth project, also known as AGROW. The programme targeted smallholder farmers, value chains, and food security, aiming to improve productivity, strengthen market linkages, and create jobs across the country.
The bank noted that agriculture remained Nigeria's largest source of employment but continued to underperform due to structural constraints, with many smallholder farmers still trapped in subsistence farming while food and nutrition insecurity persisted across the country. The AGROW project would support agribusinesses that source produce from smallholder farmers through a results-based matching grant facility.
The six-year project, scheduled to run from 2026 to 2032, was expected to attract an additional $220m in private agribusiness investment. World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Mathew Verghis, described the project as a major step toward transforming the sector, expected to benefit up to one million smallholder farmers and increase yields across targeted crops.