Abuja: The Federal Government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have launched the Climate-Smart Agribusiness Partnership for Resilience (CSAPR) project, aiming to enhance the resilience and profitability of Nigeria’s agricultural value chains. Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, announced the initiative on Friday at its launch event in Abuja, highlighting its integration of Climate Information Services (CIS) into private sector-led agribusiness solutions.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the project seeks to foster collaboration between public institutions and private sector entities. Dr. Ogunbiyi emphasized that the project would connect climate science with agricultural decision-making by partnering with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), financial institutions, insurers, agri-tech firms, and farmer organizations. These partnerships are intended to support the development of climate-informed products that will benefit farmers, particularly smallholders, women, and youth.
The initiative aligns with IFAD’s Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) 2024-2029 and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Declaration on resilient and climate-smart food systems. Dr. Ogunbiyi highlighted the pressing need for resilience in the agricultural sector due to the ongoing impacts of climate change, which include floods, droughts, irregular rainfall, desertification, and rising temperatures. He noted that developing resilience within the sector is an urgent necessity.
Furthermore, Dr. Ogunbiyi shared that CSAPR has evolved from policy dialogues and best practices derived from corporate climate partnerships initiated in 2025, and it will serve as a pilot initiative. IFAD Country Director, Dede Ekoue, explained that CSAPR aims to enhance the business case for Climate Information Services by fostering sustainable partnerships between public institutions and the private sector.
Ekoue discussed the potential of a viable CIS Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to offer resilience solutions and mobilize resources for a more competitive agricultural sector. This model would complement public climate information and agricultural advisory services by encouraging investments from lenders, insurers, processors, aggregators, and logistics operators. The project, anchored by the IFAD-funded Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme, aims to link climate resilience with agro-industrial development, value-chain competitiveness, job creation, and rural transformation.
Ekoue emphasized the dual significance of climate-smart agriculture as both an environmental priority and an economic opportunity. She asserted that integrating climate information through financially viable public-private partnerships can unlock innovation, investment, and improved services for farmers and agribusinesses. To be effective, these climate information services must be accessible, affordable, and delivered through trusted channels such as producer organizations, extension networks, digital platforms, radio, voice services, agro-dealers, and community institutions.
Ekoue assured that IFAD is committed to collaborating with the Federal Government and other partners to ensure CSAPR achieves tangible outcomes for smallholder farmers, particularly women, youth, and vulnerable rural communities. The CSAPR project is financed by the Gates Foundation, executed by IFAD, and implemented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security through the SAPZ from 2026 to 2028.