MEDA Launches RISE Project to Create 8,000 Jobs, Boost Agri-Food Value Chains in Northern Nigeria

Sunday Ehigiator

Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) has launched the Resilient and Inclusive Agri-Food Systems Empowering Women and Youth in Nigeria (RISE) project, a five-year initiative aimed at creating 8,000 decent jobs while strengthening key agri-food value chains across Northern Nigeria.

The project, supported by Global Affairs Canada, was officially unveiled yesterday in Abuja and will be implemented in Bauchi, Kaduna and Kano states.

RISE targets four critical value chains; rice, maize, groundnut and soybean, with a focus on improving productivity, market access and inclusive participation for women and youth.

Officially launching the project, the Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, described RISE as a timely intervention that aligns with national efforts to strengthen food security, expand employment opportunities and build resilient agricultural systems.

RISE is expected to directly support 12,500 smallholder farmers, strengthen 450 women and youth-led enterprises, empower 250 farmer cooperatives and ultimately impact about 50,000 people across Northern Nigeria.

The project adopts a partnership-driven approach that brings together government institutions, private sector actors, financial institutions, women’s associations and local cooperatives to address long-standing barriers across agricultural value chains.

Speaking about the initiative, MEDA Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Diaka Diallo Sall, said “with RISE, we are moving further and deeper,” said.

“The project will strengthen agri-food systems in Bauchi, Kaduna and Kano states, improve resilience to climate and economic shocks, and expand opportunities for smallholder farmers, cooperatives and agribusinesses. Women and youth will remain at the centre of this effort; not as beneficiaries, but as leaders and drivers of ecosystem transformation.”

Speaking on Canada’s support for the initiative, Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, His Excellency Pasquale Salvaggio, said agriculture remains a key pillar of Canada–Nigeria development cooperation.

“Canada has been a long-standing and committed partner in Nigeria’s agricultural sector,” he said. “We believe agriculture is not only a powerful engine for economic growth, but also a critical pathway to advancing gender equality and reducing poverty.

“By empowering women and youth across Nigeria’s agri-food systems, we are helping to create decent jobs, strengthen local economies and build more resilient and sustainable food systems.”

The launch ceremony drew senior government officials from participating states, including Dr. Iliyasu Aliyu Gital, Bauchi State Commissioner for Agriculture; Mrs. Lydia Tsanman, Bauchi State Commissioner for Women Affairs; Hajiya Amina Abdullahi, Kano State Commissioner for Women Affairs; Hon. Muritala M. Dabo, Kaduna State Commissioner for Agriculture; Hajia Rabi Salisu, Kaduna State Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development; Dr. Danjuma Mahmud, Kano State Commissioner for Agriculture; and Hon. Amina Katagum, Bauchi State Commissioner for Budget and National Planning.

Panel discussions at the event, moderated by MEDA and Sahel Consulting experts, focused on inclusive agribusiness growth and gender-responsive interventions, with Dr. Aishatu Bakari Usman representing the perspectives of women farmers.

RISE will be implemented through a three-pillar strategy aimed at increasing yields and incomes through climate-smart agricultural practices, enhancing the competitiveness of women- and youth-led agribusinesses by improving access to finance, technology and markets, and addressing harmful social norms by promoting women and youth leadership within cooperatives and agribusinesses.

The project is co-designed and implemented by MEDA in partnership with Sahel Consulting, Development Exchange Centre, Emeraid Capital, Extension Africa, Women in Business Forum, and the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN).

Implementation activities will commence in 2026, beginning with the establishment of farmer field schools, strengthening cooperative governance structures, facilitating access to climate-smart technologies and expanding market linkages for women and youth-led enterprises.

MEDA has implemented market-driven development programmes globally since 1953, focusing on building sustainable agri-food systems that provide decent work for people living in poverty, particularly women and youth.