First Edition (August 2026)

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the first edition of the Transformation of Agri-Food Systems (TAFS) newsletter by GIZ Nigeria & ECOWAS. Across Nigeria and the wider ECOWAS region, agri-food systems are at a turning point. Farmers, processors, and agribusinesses are navigating a changing climate, shifting markets, and growing demand for food that is not only more abundant, but also nutritious, sustainably produced, and equitably shared. Meeting this challenge requires more than isolated projects, it calls for coordinated action across policy, finance, private sector engagement, and community-level initiatives, all pulling in the same direction.

That is precisely what TAFS was designed to do. By bringing together projects under a shared strategic framework, spanning value chains from rice and cocoa to dairy and cashew, and working from Nigerian states to the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, we can link lessons learned in one context to challenges in another, turning individual project successes into system-wide change.

This quarterly newsletter brings that work together for you. In each edition, we will share stories of change from the field, spotlight project milestones and innovations, reflect on lessons learned, and highlight opportunities to connect, collaborate, and get involved, whether you are a partner, a colleague, or simply someone who cares about the future of agri-food systems in the West Africa region.

Transformation is not achieved alone. It requires all of us, public institutions, private sector actors, farming communities, and development partners working toward a common goal. We are glad to have you with us on this journey, and we hope this newsletter becomes a space not only to inform, but also to learn from and with one another.

Together, we are transforming agri-food systems for a more sustainable future. We hope you enjoy this newsletter and stay connected with us.

All the best,

Dr. Andrea Ruediger

Sector Coordinator, Rural Development & Agriculture

GIZ Nigeria & ECOWAS

Email: TAFS-Nigeria@giz.de

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education. We are dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world.

Transformation of Agri-Food Systems (TAFS) is one of the five core areas of German-Nigerian cooperation in Nigeria. Through the TAFS portfolio, GIZ Nigeria & ECOWAS brings together multiple projects under a shared strategic framework to improve livelihoods, strengthen food security, foster economic growth, and enhance climate resilience across the region. To achieve a sustainable transformation of the agri-food system, we connect expertise across agriculture, climate, private sector development, food systems, vocational training, finance, and innovation, creating synergies that amplify impact beyond individual projects.

New Projects: Three Agribusiness Projects Contributing to the Transformation of the Agri-Food Sector in 2026

As of July 2026, we have added three new projects (GP FO Hub, GP Soil Matters and TEI OP VET/SUSTAIN) to our agribusiness portfolio, while two more are in the pipeline.

• GP FO Hub seeks to equip farmer organisations with the knowledge, skills, and tools to bridge the gap between policy development and implementation.
• GP Soil Matters  will support stakeholders in improving soil data management, digital soil property mapping, and decision-support tools for evidence-based planning.
• TEI OP VET/ SUSTAIN aims to train 4,000 Nigerians, create 2,000 decent jobs in agribusiness, and award 200 agribusiness grants to promote self-employment.

Project Close-out: GP AgFin Stakeholders Celebrate 8 Years of Impact in South-West Nigeria

On 23 July 2026, the Global Project Promotion of Agricultural Finance for Agri-based Enterprises in Rural Areas in Nigeria (GP AgFin) held its South-West regional close-out event in Ibadan, Oyo State, to bring to a close the project's eight years of implementation in the South-West region. The project facilitated €11.9 million (estimated at ₦13.2 billion) in agri-finance loans to over 30,000 farmers and agribusinesses in the South-West. These agricultural finance loans came solely from the balance sheets of the partner financial institutions. Additionally, over 3,000 farmers and agro-processors (50% women and 26% young people between the ages of 18 and 35) were trained on financial literacy. The GP AgFin Project will officially close in October 2026 with a Central Close-out event in Abuja.

Cashew Value Chain: Stakeholders Validate Nigeria's Cashew Roadmap

As one of Nigeria's partners in international cooperation, we are proud to be part of an important milestone in the cashew industry as stakeholders convened in Abuja yesterday to review and validate Nigeria's Cashew Roadmap. The Cashew Roadmap is a strategic plan to increase production, expand domestic processing, and strengthen market access. It also addresses key constraints concerning low productivity, aging plantations, limited seedlings, traceability, certifications, infrastructural gaps, high energy costs, limited finances and processing capacity, and quality compliance.

Soil Information System: Strengthening Nigeria's Foundation for a Sustainable Agri-food System

To strengthen soil health initiatives in Nigeria, our Global Project Soil Matters held its first Implementation Planning Workshop after its launch on 29 April 2026. The workshop brought together stakeholders from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), State Ministries of Agriculture, and the private sector to co-create and refine Soil Matters’ operational implementation plan and develop a shared understanding of the project's objectives, expected outcomes, and implementation approach. Healthy soil is essential for improved agricultural productivity, food security, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience.

VACE Business Models: Unlocking a Scalable and Investable Dairy Sector in Nigeria

Our VACE Project recently presented three dairy value chain Business Models to stakeholders in Abuja for validation. The key models explored are:

• Integrated Artificial Insemination (AI) and Animal Health Services
• Decentralized Milk Cold-Chain Aggregation
• Milk Aggregation & Fodder Production for Women Cooperatives

The innovative business models were designed to address key structural constraints, including low productivity, weak cold-chain infrastructure, fragmented markets, and limited access to finance and essential services. Upon the finalisation of the models, interested stakeholders will be supported with investment readiness capacity building and matched with financial institutions for funding.

Stakeholder Consultation: Advancing Climate-Smart Rice Production in Nigeria

At GIZ, we believe in the power of partnerships and collective action to drive meaningful change. The recent Stakeholder Consultation in Kano State, organised by our Carbon Offsetting Rice Emissions (CORE) Project, reflected this commitment, bringing together state government officials, public and private sector actors, civil society organisations, extension agents, and farmers to advance dialogue on climate-smart rice production in Nigeria.

The event marked an important step toward building a coordinated, inclusive, and scalable pathway for climate-resilient rice production in Nigeria. The open dialogue and shared expertise ensured the alignment of the CORE project's scope and approach with stakeholders' expectations.

EU Business Forum: Advancing Investment in Agribusiness

GIZ Nigeria and ECOWAS participated in the 10th Nigeria-European Union (EU) Business Forum held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts in Lagos, where we showcased our EU co-financed projects in the energy, agribusiness, and digitalization sectors. The event provided a great platform for three of our EU co-financed projects in the agribusiness sector (VACE, MOVE, and TEI OP VET) to showcase their work and engage with various agribusiness stakeholders in Nigeria and abroad. We used a chocolate fountain and food products (rice crackers, cashew cookies, and chocolates) from cocoa, cashew, rice, and dairy value chains to convey a compelling story of how locally produced farm products get transformed into the finished products that we all enjoy. Through the Business Forum, the EU convened policymakers, investors, and private sector leaders to advance investment opportunities and strengthen economic cooperation.

Contract Farming: Rewriting the Story of Rice Production in North-West Nigeria

Financial Inclusion: Agricultural Loan, A Lifeline for Janet

Through Germany and Gates Foundation funded MOVE Project, which built the capacity of farmers and facilitated an input-financing contract agreement between farmers and Sajo Mills, many farmers in Kebbi State now grow rice paddy with quality inputs, guaranteed markets, and yields that have nearly doubled.

Read more…

With support from the German Government through GP AgFin, Gowans Microfinance Bank (MfB) supported Janet Daudu, a poultry farmer in Plateau State to revive her poultry business from 9,000 chickens lost to bird flu in Bauchi State to a thriving enterprise growing to 2,500 chickens and producing up to 70 crates of eggs per day. Read more …

Agricultural Finance: How a Plateau Bank Strengthened Agricultural Lending

Institutionalisation: Partnership for Transforming Agricultural Education

This story highlights how the Light Microfinance Bank (Light MFB) in Jos transitioned from cautious agricultural lending to structured and growth-oriented agribusiness financing through the partnership with GP AgFin project, shifting from generic loan disbursement approach to value chain aligned products. Read more…

This story highlights how the Federal College of Agriculture (FCA) Ibadan, in partnership with GIZ and BMZ, through the GP AgFin project, transformed agricultural education by integrating the Farmer’s Financial Cycle (FFC) knowledge product into the curriculum of the college, teaching financial literacy and entrepreneurship alongside core farming skills. Read more…

German-Nigerian Business Day: Cooperating for

Development and Business Promotion

Agribusiness was one of the key focus sectors of the German-Nigerian Business Day 2026, held in Lagos. On 11 May 2026, representatives from government, business, and development organisations from Germany and Nigeria gathered in Abuja for the maiden "German Nigerian Business Day 2026". The event aimed to deepen bilateral economic cooperation, strengthen business (B2B) partnerships, and explore investment opportunities across key sectors including agribusiness, energy, digitization, healthcare, manufacturing, and infrastructure.

Germany and Nigeria share over 65 years of diplomatic relations and more than five decades of development cooperation. Nigeria is Germany’s second-largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, with bilateral trade reaching approximately €3 billion in 2025. More than 80 German companies currently operate in Nigeria, contributing to industrial development, technology transfer, and employment creation.

The agribusiness breakout group focused on promoting joint project initiatives to address challenges in the agri-food sector, including access to finance, capacity building, and value addition to reduce post-harvest losses.

GP AgFin Central Close-out Event

GP AgFin Webinar

Youth Inclusion: Strengthening Young People’s Participation and Leadership in Nigeria’s Climate Action 

Climate change-related challenges, including flooding and drought, undermine the transformation of agri-food systems, leading to increasing food insecurity, environmental degradation, and declining livelihood opportunities. To strengthen young people's understanding of Nigeria's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0) ahead of the maiden edition of the Nigeria Youth Climate Summit, our German government-funded project, "Driving Ambitious Climate Contributions in Agri-food Systems (ClimA)," partnered with ActionAid Nigeria to convene a National Young People's Dialogue on the NDC 3.0. The dialogue equipped participants to engage meaningfully in the Nigeria Youth Climate Summit 2026 through their collective position and recommendations, captured in a communiqué.

The youth-led communiqué, which captured a shared vision and collective commitments for accelerating youth participation in climate governance was subsequently adopted at the Nigeria Youth Climate Summit. The summit reinforced the role of young people as key partners in delivering Nigeria's climate ambitions, demonstrating that meaningful youth engagement is essential to achieving a climate-resilient and low-carbon future.

West African Papers

Simplified CAADP Strategy

Farmers’ Guide

The West African Food Trade Environment: Private Sector Perceptions of Barriers, Opportunities, and the Future

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Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan for Kampala Agenda

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The Nigerian Farmers’ Guide to the CAADP Kampala Declaration (2026 – 2035)

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Policy Review Report

Readiness Assessment

Policy Brief

Post-2010 Climate Change Adaptation Policies for the Agricultural Sector of Nigeria

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Readiness Assessment of the Sub-Nationals on the Rollout of the Nigeria Farmers’ Soil Health Scheme Report

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Promoting Gender Inclusivity in Rice Farming: Overcoming Barriers to Women's Full Participation in Nigeria

Learn more

Regional Agricultural Trade: West Africa's Hidden Powerhouse

For decades, cross-border agricultural trade in the region has been described as fragmented and economically marginal. Because many transactions bypass formal customs systems, they remain statistically invisible and therefore politically underestimated. However, new evidence challenges this narrative. An estimated 85 percent of intra-regional food trade is not captured in official statistics.

The numbers tell a powerful story. Each year approximately 68 trillion kilocalories are traded across borders within West Africa. Despite its scale, intra-regional trade continues to face persistent barriers. Traders report inconsistent border procedures, administrative burdens and informal fees that increase costs and uncertainty. Inadequate transport infrastructure, insecurity and restricted access to finance further limit efficiency and growth. Access to affordable credit remains one of the most frequently identified challenges.

Source:

“Intra-regional Food Trade in West Africa: New Evidence, New Perspectives”, by OECD/SWAC

Daily Trust - 22 Jul 2026 

Stakeholders applaud project’s impact on farmers in Southwest (read story)

NAN - 19 Jun 2026

Association trains farmers, others on carbon finance (read story)

Agropasteur - 11 Jun 2026

Abuja accueille ce Jeudi 11 juin 2026 le lancement du projet « Organisations d’agriculteurs pour la transformation des systèmes agricoles et alimentaires » en Afrique de l’Ouest. (read story)

The Sun - 13 May 2026

Bagudu woos German investors, says FG’s reforms unlocking new growth trajectory for Nigeria (read story)

The Guardian - 5 May 2026

FG launches revised gender policy to boost equal access to agricultural resources (read story)

Daily Trust - 30 Apr 2026

FG, partners launch $2.2m soil project (read story)

Vanguard - 29 Apr 2026

German govt, GIZ disburse over N9bn to boost agriculture in Northwest (read story)

=>Transformation!

Rapid population growth, climate change, land degradation, food and nutrition insecurity, market inefficiencies, and limited access to finance continue to challenge West Africa's agricultural sector’s ability to deliver resilient livelihoods, healthy diets, and sustainable economic growth. GIZ Nigeria & ECOWAS responds to these challenges by moving beyond isolated project interventions towards a coherent, system-thinking transformation approach.

To understand what we mean by transformation of agri-food systems and our approach to transformation, click here.