MEDA launches five-year rise project to boost agri-food systems in northern Nigeria

A cross session of dignitaries at the launch of the M.E.D.I.A in Abuja

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 supported by Global Affairs Canada, aimed at strengthening agricultural value chains and expanding decent job opportunities in Northern Nigeria.

The project, unveiled on Thursday, January 22, 2026, is designed to create 8,000 sustainable jobs across the region while directly supporting 12,500 smallholder farmers through improved access to finance, climate-smart agricultural practices, and stronger market linkages.

RISE will also strengthen 450 women- and youth-led enterprises and empower 250 farmer cooperatives, with an overall projected reach of about 50,000 beneficiaries.

Implementation will span Bauchi State, Kaduna State, and Kano State, focusing on key value chains such as rice, maize, groundnut, and soybean.

The initiative is structured around a three-pillar strategy: increasing yields and incomes for smallholder farmers through climate-smart innovations; enhancing the competitiveness of women- and youth-led agribusinesses through access to finance and technology; and addressing harmful social norms by promoting inclusive leadership within cooperatives and agribusiness enterprises.

The launch event brought together stakeholders from government, the private sector, financial institutions, women’s groups, and local cooperatives to identify and address systemic challenges across targeted value chains.

Speaking at the event, MEDA Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Diaka Diallo Sall, said the RISE project places women and youth at the centre of agricultural transformation in Northern Nigeria.

“With RISE, we are moving further and deeper. 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,” she said.

According to her, women and youth will remain at the centre of the effort, not as beneficiaries, but as leaders and drivers of ecosystem transformation.

The Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Pasquale Salvaggio reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to Nigeria’s agricultural development, describing agriculture as a key driver of economic growth, gender equality, and poverty reduction.

“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,” Salvaggio said.

The launch also featured panel discussions moderated by MEDA and Sahel Consulting experts, with Dr. Aishatu Bakari Usman representing women farmers.

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The RISE 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).

Dignitaries present at the event included the Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator (Dr.) Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi; the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Pasquale Salvaggio; the Bauchi State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Iliyasu Aliyu Gital; the Bauchi State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Lydia Tsanman; the Kano State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Amina Abdullahi; the Kaduna State Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Muritala Dabo; the Kaduna State Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Hajia Rabi Salisu; the Kano State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Danjuma Mahmud; and the Bauchi State Commissioner for Budget and National Planning, Hon. Amina Katagum.