FG Hails Germany, EU’s €18.3m Food Security

The Federal Government in partnership with the Government of Germany and the European Union, officially launched the €18.3m EU-VACE TARED Project on Wednesday.

The project is a four-year initiative aimed at transforming 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 targets four critical agricultural value chains: cocoa, dairy, tomatoes, and ginger.

The project will run from October 2024 to September 2028 and will be implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH, in partnership with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

Seven states — Cross River, Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, Ondo, Oyo, and Plateau — will serve as implementation hubs for the project, which seeks to enhance food security, promote innovation, and provide economic opportunities for women and youth.

Speaking during the launch, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, stressed the project’s alignment with the national agenda.

“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, access to finance are all critical components of that agenda,” he said.

Abdullahi thanked the EU for funding the initiative and GIZ for its consistent technical support, describing the project as “a transformative pathway” for addressing key agricultural challenges, including 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,” Abdullahi said.

He also announced the formation of a project steering committee to ensure transparency and alignment with national priorities.

“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.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, highlighted the project’s relevance to Nigeria’s livestock sector and broader agricultural goals.

Maiha stressed the importance of developing the dairy value chain, which he said aligns closely with the Ministry’s Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy.

 “Today we spend $1.5bn 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,” he said.

The Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, said the project was a key component of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy and Team Europe initiative, aimed at boosting sustainable development and economic resilience.

“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, infrastructure deficit, among others.

“However, perhaps the most urgent challenge is gen