UK commits £204m to support Nigeria’s agricultural growth

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has announced plans to mobilize £204 million in private sector investment to strengthen Nigeria’s agriculture sector. Adiya Ode, country representative for Propcom+, a UK Aid-funded initiative, shared this during a stakeholders' meeting in Katsina. 

Propcom+ is an eight-year program (2023-2030) aimed at supporting smallholders and small businesses in climate- and conflict-affected regions. It seeks to enhance productivity, reduce emissions, and promote sustainable agriculture and forestry practices.  

The initiative focuses on improving food security, boosting rural economies, and addressing environmental and social challenges in Nigeria’s food and land-use systems. Propcom+ operates as a market facilitator, working to remove obstacles that hinder small-scale farmers and entrepreneurs. It also aims to mitigate conflicts linked to resource scarcity while fostering climate resilience and economic stability.  

With a £95 million budget for implementation, Propcom+ plans to improve the incomes and resilience of 3.79 million Nigerians, with 50% of beneficiaries being women. The program promotes sustainable farming techniques to help over four million people adapt to climate change. Currently active in Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Plateau, Gombe, and Adamawa, Katsina has recently been added as a beneficiary state.  

Ode outlined three major challenges the program seeks to address: low agricultural productivity, resource-based conflict, and climate change impact. By tackling these issues, Propcom+ aims to transform Nigeria’s rural economy, increase smallholder farmers’ incomes, and alleviate poverty through long-term sustainable solutions.