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 transforming agricultural value chains and creating 8,000 jobs across Northern Nigeria.
The project, supported by Global Affairs Canada, seeks to strengthen agri-food systems while boosting economic opportunities for women and young people in Bauchi, Kaduna and Kano states.
RISE is expected to support 12,500 smallholder farmers through improved access to finance, climate-smart agricultural practices and stronger market linkages. It will also strengthen 450 women- and youth-led enterprises, empower 250 farmer cooperatives, and reach an estimated 50,000 beneficiaries across the region.
The initiative focuses on four key value chains—rice, maize, groundnut and soybean—and adopts a three-pillar approach. These pillars include increasing yields and incomes for smallholder farmers through climate-smart practices; enhancing the competitiveness of women- and youth-led agribusinesses via access to finance and technology; and addressing harmful social norms by promoting inclusive leadership within cooperatives and agribusinesses.
Speaking at the launch, MEDA Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Diaka Sall, said the project places women and youth at the heart of agricultural transformation.
“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,” Sall said.
She emphasized that women and youth are not merely beneficiaries but leaders and drivers of ecosystem transformation.
Also speaking, Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Pasquale Salvaggio, reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to Nigeria’s agricultural growth, noting that agriculture remains a critical driver of economic development, gender equality and poverty reduction.
“By empowering women and youth, we are creating decent jobs, strengthening economies and building resilient and sustainable food systems,” Salvaggio said.
The launch event brought together key stakeholders from government, the private sector, financial institutions, women’s associations and local cooperatives to address challenges affecting the targeted value chains. It also featured panel discussions moderated by experts from MEDA and Sahel Consulting, with Dr. Aishatu Usman representing women farmers.
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 at the event included the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi; Bauchi State Commissioner for Agriculture, Iliyasu Gital; Bauchi State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Lydia Tsanman; Kano State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Amina Abdullahi; Kaduna State Commissioner for Agriculture, Muritala Dabo; Kaduna State Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Hajia Rabi Salisu; Kano State Commissioner for Agriculture, Danjuma Mahmud; and Bauchi State Commissioner for Budget and National Planning, Amina Katagum.
