Nigeria ministry flags 89 issues for $500m AGROW project
Federal officials met in Minna to resolve grant, governance, and risk issues before the World Bank-backed project begins.
Nigeria's Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has identified 89 issues in draft manuals for the $500 million Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains for Growth (AGROW) Project. Dr Emmanuel Akogun, Federal Director of the Department of Development Partners Projects, stated on Monday in Minna that these issues require clarification before the project can start.
The identified issues, grouped into six areas, concern fund flow for matching grants, grant facility governance, agreement provisions, eligibility criteria, results verification, and environmental and social risks. The two-day consultation, hosted by Niger State Government, aimed to finalize the manuals for the World Bank-backed initiative.
The AGROW project, approved in March 2026, will help smallholder farmers improve productivity and access markets through a performance-based matching grant facility. Initial priority commodities include rice, maize, soybeans, and cassava, with support for improved crop varieties and digital advisory services.
Why it mattersSmallholder farmers in Nigeria will benefit from improved productivity and market access through the AGROW project, which focuses on rice, maize, soybeans, and cassava.