By Ganiyat Mumuni
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.
The project, implemented by MEDA, aims to strengthen agricultural value chains and create 8,000 decent jobs across Northern Nigeria. It was launched on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
RISE will also directly support 12,500 smallholder farmers through access to finance, climate-smart agricultural practices and improved market linkages, while strengthening 450 women- and youth-led enterprises and empowering 250 farmer cooperatives. The project is expected to reach about 50,000 people across the region.
The initiative will operate in Bauchi, Kaduna and Kano states, targeting key value chains including rice, maize, groundnut and soybean.
The project will adopt a three-pillar approach focused on increasing yields and incomes for smallholder farmers through climate-smart practices; improving 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 agribusinesses.
The launch event convened key stakeholders from government, the private sector, financial institutions, women’s associations and local cooperatives to address barriers across these value chains.
Speaking at the event, MEDA Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Diaka Diallo Sall, said the project places women and youth at the centre of agricultural transformation in the region.
“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.
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.
