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The Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the Government of Germany and the European Union (EU), on Wednesday officially launched the €18.3 million EU-VACE TARED Project, a four-year initiative designed to transform Nigeria’s agricultural sector through climate-smart practices, job creation, and inclusive value chain development.

The EU-VACE TARED (Agriculture Value Chain Facility – Transformative Agricultural Systems for Rural Economic Development) project, which will run from October 2024 to September 2028, targets four strategic value chains: cocoa, dairy, tomatoes, and ginger.

Implementation will be led by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) in partnership with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. The project will operate across seven states: Cross River, Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, Ondo, Oyo, and Plateau.

Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative aligns closely with President Bola Tinubu’s economic vision.

“This project definitely aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, in which food security, poverty eradication, economic growth and job creation, inclusivity, and access to finance are all critical components of that agenda,” Abdullahi stated.

He described the project as “a transformative pathway” to address post-harvest losses, climate shocks, and limited financing.

“The EU-VACE TARED project provides us with a unique opportunity to address some of these challenges head-on. It will enhance coordination, promote value addition, and build systems that protect our farmers and consumers,” he said.

Abdullahi further announced the creation of a steering committee to oversee transparency and results delivery.

“This steering committee will not just exist on paper. It will be an engine of direction, innovation, and monitoring to guarantee that we can deliver measurable results,” he added.

Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, highlighted the significance of the dairy value chain, which he said was central to the ministry’s Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy.

“Today, we spend $1.5 billion to import dairy and dairy products into the country. We do believe together we can change the narrative by ensuring that the sector is transformed in such a way that progressively we begin to reduce that level of import by creating local industries, employing people, improving quality of life, creating social harmony, and building peace across the land,” Maiha noted.

Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, described the project as part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy and Team Europe initiative.

“Nigeria’s agricultural sector is rich with potential, and yet we know that it faces persistent challenges like weak access to funds, climate-related risk, and infrastructure deficit, among others. However, perhaps the most urgent challenge is generational, meaning how can we make agriculture attractive, viable, and promising for young Nigerians?” he asked.

He stressed the EU’s vision for the sector:

“Our goal is clear. It is to foster inclusive, climate-smart, and commercially viable agriculture that creates decent jobs, especially for youth and women, while helping to build the next generation of what I would call agripreneurs.

Mignot revealed that the EU is currently investing over €87 million in agriculture and climate-resilient programmes in Nigeria, alongside a broader €1.5 billion pipeline in green economy initiatives under Team Europe.

Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy, Johannes Lehne, reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to Nigeria’s agricultural development.

“This initiative is a testament to our long-standing cooperation with Nigeria,” Lehne said. “It’s about more than funding—it’s about supporting sustainable development and transforming agri-food systems to create jobs, promote climate-smart farming, and empower local communities.”

Also speaking, Deputy Country Director of GIZ Nigeria and ECOWAS, Oladoyin Olawaiye, underscored the social impact of the initiative.

“EU-VACE TARED is about more than agriculture – it is about creating jobs, building resilience, and giving young Nigerians more opportunities to thrive at home. Together with our Nigerian and European partners, we are committed to turning challenges into opportunities,” she said.

The project is expected to support smallholder farmers and MSMEs with access to finance, markets, and innovations, while promoting climate-smart agriculture and creating decent work opportunities for women and youth — reinforcing agriculture as a driver of inclusive and sustainable growth in Nigeria

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