The Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development–Value Chain Development Programme (FG/IFAD-VCDP) has implemented close to 90 infrastructure projects and delivered equipment support valued at several millions of naira to strengthen rice and cassava value chains in Nasarawa State.
This was disclosed by the Knowledge Management and Communications Officer of FG/IFAD-VCDP in Nasarawa State, Mr. Akwe Samson Jonath, during a media roundtable held in Lafia, the state capital.
According to Mr. Jonath, the infrastructure and equipment interventions were designed to support programme beneficiaries across five local government areas in the state. He noted that between 2021 and 2025, the programme successfully completed ninety physical projects. These include ten commodity aggregation centres, five culverts, seven bridges, seventeen market stores, six market stalls, seven drying slabs, and twenty-seven rice and cassava processing centres equipped with crèche facilities. Other completed projects include ten VIP toilet facilities and the development of 25 hectares of farmland.
He further revealed that the programme also supplied various agricultural equipment to Nasarawa State during the same period. These include small-scale irrigation facilities, petrol-powered tillers, rice threshers, mini rice cutters, manual rice transplanters, rice reapers, and other tools, all aimed at boosting productivity and value addition across the rice and cassava sectors.
Providing an overview of the Value Chain Development Programme, Mr. Jonath explained that its implementation is structured around key components, including market development, smallholder productivity enhancement, and programme coordination and management.
He added that the components are designed to improve the profitability of smallholder farmers and medium-scale agro-processors, enhance programme efficiency, and deliver targeted results through the integration of gender inclusion, youth participation, and collaboration with implementing agencies in the state.
In her remarks, the State Coordinator of VCDP, Dr. Eunice Adgidzi, said the programme is focused on improving the livelihoods of farmers across Nasarawa State. She commended journalists for their role in publicising VCDP activities and increasing awareness of its impact.
Dr. Adgidzi also noted that continuous training and retraining under the programme have enabled farmers to adopt improved agronomic practices in rice and cassava production, leading to better outcomes across the value chains.