The Federal Government of Nigeria, 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, and 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.

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 $1.5 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,” he said.

The Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, said the project is 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, 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?” Mignot said.

“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,” he added.

He confirmed that the EU is investing over “€87m through various agriculture and climate-resilient programmes” in Nigeria, with a broader Team Europe pipeline of nearly €1.5bn in green economy initiatives.

In his remarks, Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy Johannes Lehne reaffirmed Germany and the EU’s commitment to Nigeria’s development, describing the project as a strategic investment in the country’s agricultural future.

“This initiative is a testament to our long-standing cooperation with Nigeria,” Lehne stated. “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.”

The Deputy Country Director of GIZ Nigeria and Economic Community of West African States, Oladoyin Olawaiye, also emphasised the broader 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 EU-VACE TARED project is expected to support smallholder farmers and MSMEs with innovations and skills, improve access to finance and international markets, promote climate-smart practices, and create decent work opportunities for marginalised groups — reinforcing Nigeria’s agricultural sector as a driver of inclusive and sustainable growth.