Abuja: The Federal Government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have launched a capacity-building initiative aimed at enhancing stakeholders’ ability to mobilise climate finance under the Value Chain Development Programme in Northern Nigeria (VCN). This effort is set to strengthen the capabilities of federal and state actors to access and deploy climate funds for resilient agri-food systems.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the VCN, which is co-financed by the Federal Government, IFAD, and the French Development Agency (AFD), focuses on promoting nutrition-sensitive, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural value chain development in participating northern states, with a strong emphasis on climate resilience. The initiative is designed to foster coordinated implementation of climate-resilient interventions and strengthen climate finance mobilisation under the VCN.
Speaking at a workshop titled ‘Capacity Building on Climate Resilience for Agri-food Systems Transformation in Northern Nigeria’ in Abuja, IFAD Country Director, Ms Dede Ekoue, highlighted the importance of the training in enhancing participants’ capacity to identify and leverage climate finance opportunities. The workshop was organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) in collaboration with IFAD, the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA), and the Joint SDG Fund.
Ms Ekoue emphasised the need for a shared understanding among stakeholders on climate risks and adaptation strategies, including digital climate services and climate finance. She stressed the importance of grounding interventions in Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRAVA) to ensure that VCN investments are directed toward climate-proofed interventions.
Mrs Olubunmi Iluromi, Director, Federal Department of Development Partners Projects, FMAFS, noted that the workshop followed a recent high-level engagement on the VCN joint roadmap for accelerated implementation. She highlighted the importance of equipping institutions and technical teams to deliver climate-resilient outcomes and stressed the need for strong coordination among federal and state governments.
Dr Oluyede Ajayi, Global Lead, Food Security Programme at the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA), stated that the organisation supports governments and international financing institutions in integrating climate adaptation into large-scale agricultural investments. He outlined GCA’s role in providing technical assistance, climate risk analytics, and co-designed adaptation solutions across projects.
The initiative is part of broader efforts to strengthen resilience, boost productivity, and attract sustainable climate financing into Nigeria’s agricultural sector, highlighting the critical need for climate-resilient interventions in the region.