in Katsina 

The Chairman of North-west Governor’s Forum, Dikko Umaru Radda, has described the federal government’s signing of a $158.15 million financing agreement for the Value Chain Programme in Northern Nigeria as the transformative initiative that will boost agribusinesses in the region. 

Radda, who is the Governor of Katsina State, said the federal government initiative would create numerous opportunities for farmers and agribusinesses in the nine benefiting states of Katsina, Sokoto, Kano, Kebbi, Zamfara, Borno, Bauchi, Yobe and Jigawa.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, Radda explained that the programme would sustainably reduce poverty, enhance nutrition and improve resilience of rural and vulnerable populations in the North.

Radda, who was among the northern governors that attended the signing ceremony of the $158 million programme at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, described the development as a vital intervention that will significantly improve agricultural productivity across the northern region.

He added that the programme aligns with the Katsina State’s agricultural development agenda and will complement ongoing efforts to modernise farming practices, enhance value addition and create sustainable livelihoods for the citizens of the state. 

“This initiative represents a transformative opportunity for our farmers and agribusinesses in Katsina State and across the entire northern region,” Radda stated.

The eight-year programme is co-funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the French Development Agency (AFD), and the Government of Nigeria.