Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) has launched Resilient and Inclusive Agri-Food Systems Empowering Women and Youth in Nigeria (RISE) project, a five-year initiative supported by Global Affairs Canada.
The project, implemented by MEDA, aims to strengthen agricultural value chains and create 8,000 jobs in the North.
RISE will support 12,500 smallholder farmers through access to finance, climate-smart agricultural practice and improved market linkages, while strengthening 450 women- and youth-led enterprises and empowering 250 farmer cooperatives. The project is expected to reach about 50,000 in the region.
The initiative will operate in Bauchi, Kaduna and Kano states, targeting key value chains; rice, maize, groundnut and soybean.
The project will adopt a three-pillar approach focused on increasing yields and incomes for smallholder farmers through climate-smart practice; improving the competitiveness of women- and youth-led agribusinesses through access to finance and technology; and addressing harmful social norms by promoting inclusive leadership in cooperatives and agribusinesses.
The event convened key stakeholders from government, private sector, financial institutions, women associations and local cooperatives to address barriers in these value chains.
MEDA Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Diaka Sall, said the project places women and youth at the centre of agricultural transformation.
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“With RISE, we are moving further and deeper. The project will strengthen agri-food systems in Bauchi, Kaduna and Kano states, improve resilience to climate and economic shocks, and expand opportunities for smallholder farmers, cooperatives and agribusinesses,” she said.
She said women and youth are at the centre, not as beneficiaries, but leaders and drivers of ecosystem transformation.
Canadian High Commissioner in Nigeria, Pasquale Salvaggio, reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to Nigeria’s agricultural growth, saying agriculture is a key driver of economic growth, gender equality and poverty reduction.
“By empowering women and youth, we are creating decent jobs, strengthening economies and building resilient and sustainable food systems,” Salvaggio said.
The launch also featured panel discussions moderated by MEDA and Sahel Consulting experts, with Dr. Aishatu Usman representing women farmers.
The RISE project is co-designed and implemented by MEDA with Sahel Consulting, Development Exchange Centre, Emeraid Capital, Extension Africa, Women in Business Forum and Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN).
Other dignitaries at the event included Minister of State of Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi; Bauchi State Commissioner for Agriculture, Iliyasu Gital; Bauchi State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Lydia Tsanman; Kano State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Amina Abdullahi; Kaduna State Commissioner for Agriculture, Muritala Dabo; Kaduna State Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Hajia Rabi Salisu; Kano State Commissioner for Agriculture, Danjuma Mahmud; and Bauchi State Commissioner for Budget and National Planning, Amina Katagum.