Shettima Says $500m AGROW Programme Will Drive Agricultural Technology in Nigeria

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the Federal Government will use the $500 million AGROW Programme to accelerate the adoption of Agricultural Technology in Nigeria, following the receipt of the final report of the National Technical Working Group on the World Bank-supported initiative.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President.

Shettima received the report during a briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday, marking the conclusion of the design phase of the Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains for Growth Programme and its transition to implementation.

Speaking at the meeting, the Vice President said the programme was designed to place farmers at the centre of national economic planning by using Agricultural Technology to improve productivity, market access, and private investment in the sector.

“Today marks the transition of AGROW from programme design to implementation,” Shettima said, adding that the initiative is rooted in the realities of farmers and capable of attracting private investment required to move agriculture from subsistence to scale.

Shettima explained that $355 million, representing 71 per cent of the total financing envelope, would be implemented through participating state governments, creating opportunities for Agricultural Technology deployment in farming communities across the country.

He noted that agriculture contributes 23 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product and sustains 34 per cent of the nation’s workforce, stressing that modern Agricultural Technology can help reduce food prices, increase rural incomes, and strengthen food security.

The programme was developed through seven zonal consultations involving 32 states, reflecting growing commitment by subnational governments to invest in technology-driven agricultural development, infrastructure, extension services, and market expansion.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Taiwo Oyedele, described the programme as a key component of Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda, noting that Agricultural Technology would play a major role in job creation and macroeconomic stability.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said the completion of the report shifts attention to the borrowing plan, financing agreement, and legal processes required for full implementation, including the integration of Agricultural Technology into the programme’s delivery framework.

The World Bank Programme Leader for AGROW, Ms. Bertine Kamphuis, assured the Nigerian government of continued support and emphasised the need for stronger private sector participation in Agricultural Technology across the nation’s agricultural value chain.