The Federal Government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have reaffirmed their commitment to transforming the livelihoods of at least 450,000 rural households by 2029.
The commitment will be achieved through the Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) 2024–2029.
The pledge was reiterated on Saturday in Abuja on the sidelines of the Second Annual Results Review Workshop of the COSOP 2024–2029.
The Federal Government/IFAD COSOP, adopted in 2024, aims to promote inclusive and resilient growth of the rural economy through market-driven agrifood systems transformation to enhance food and nutrition security.
Its strategic objective is to sustainably increase the productive capacities of rural populations while strengthening organizational and policy frameworks for inclusive, nutrition-sensitive and climate-resilient agricultural value chains.
Mrs Dede Ekoue, IFAD Country Director, described the review as a strategic opportunity for Nigeria and its partners to assess two years of COSOP implementation and realign strategies towards achieving the programme’s 2029 targets.
Ekoue said the review would generate actionable recommendations to strengthen implementation through 2026 and ensure that the programme reaches at least 450,000 rural households by 2029.
“The 2025 review provides an opportunity to assess relevance, measure progress and introduce strategic adjustments where necessary.
“Early implementation results have been encouraging, with overachievement recorded in areas such as the development of processing and storage facilities, strengthened rural producers’ organizations and improved access to finance, among others,” she said.
She noted that the complexity of challenges in the agrifood sector requires coordinated action among government institutions, the private sector, development partners and farmer organizations.
According to her, the diversity of participants at the review reflects the inclusive design of the COSOP and aligns with Nigeria’s renewed focus on digitization and youth engagement in agriculture.
Ekoue identified progress on the National Digital Farmers Registry and ongoing policy dialogues on youth inclusion as key milestones, while calling for increased funding to fully unlock Nigeria’s vast agrifood potential.
Mrs Munet Sadiku, Assistant Director at the International Economic Relations Department of the Federal Ministry of Finance, said the COSOP continues to serve as a vital framework for driving rural transformation and strengthening food security.
She added that the programme has also improved the livelihoods of smallholder farmers nationwide.
According to Sadiku, the ministry is keen on deeper integration of digital tools in financial reporting, monitoring and project administration to enhance efficiency and promote data-driven decision-making.
Mrs Adebola Iruromi, Director at the Federal Department of Development Partners Projects in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, described the review as a critical moment to reflect on collective progress, identify gaps and strengthen pathways for Nigeria’s agrifood transformation agenda.
She said the long-standing Federal Government/IFAD partnership remains central to efforts to promote rural prosperity, resilience and food and nutrition security.
“As we review the COSOP, it is important to identify and scale proven models that have delivered impact across projects and states.
“Scaling successful interventions is essential to achieving national targets under the National Food Systems Transformation Pathways,” Iruromi said.
She identified key challenges confronting the sector as rising inflation, insecurity, climate shocks, limited extension services and uneven implementation across states.
According to her, stronger coordination, enhanced monitoring and evaluation, wider deployment of digital tools and deeper sub-national accountability are required to address these challenges.
Mr Raymond Enoch, National Coordinator of the National Committee for Family Farming in Nigeria, expressed the committee’s support for the COSOP framework.
He described the programme as critical to strengthening the capacity of smallholder and family farmers, enabling them to increase productivity while contributing meaningfully to national food systems.
Enoch commended the recent launch of the National Digital Farmers Registry by IFAD and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, describing it as a major step toward modernizing agriculture.
He said the initiative would improve data accuracy, enhance technology integration and provide farmers with access to vital information, including weather forecasts and early warning systems.
Enoch stressed that Nigerian farmers must not be left behind in the global shift toward digital solutions, expressing confidence that evolving technological and policy reforms would enable farmers to respond more effectively to emerging challenges.
