FG partners UNESCO REF to empower 4.5m Nigerians through climate-smart agric

The Federal Government, through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Food Security (SSAP-FS), has announced a strategic partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Read and Earn Federation (UNESCO REF), to empower 4.5 million Nigerians under a national agricultural enterprise programme to bolster food security.

This landmark effort to advance inclusive development, climate resilience, and food system transformation was announced by Barrister Yejide Ogundipe, SSAP-FS, during a joint national press briefing convened in Abuja.

The news conference was held on Tuesday alongside key stakeholders, including the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA Nigeria), the Road Safety Officers Wives Association (ROSOWA), and the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development (MBNCWD), which serves as the National Secretariat for the project.
This initiative is anchored in the UNESCO REF Strategic Intervention Programme Alpha, Category II Framework, specifically the Young Women in Agriculture (YWA) component, and is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2: Zero Hunger and SDG 13: Climate Action).

The programme is structured to run through 2030, supporting Nigerias commitment to the UN 2030 Agenda.
Ogundipe said, Food security under President Bola Ahmed Tinubus Renewed Hope Agenda is not merely policy; it is a covenant with the Nigerian people.
Through my office, the Presidency will broker the financial support required to ensure that millions of Nigerians benefit from this National Empowerment Programme. This is not just an agricultural intervention; it is a national security and empowerment strategy.

The initiative would be implemented in two phases, with 3 million Nigerians to be financially sponsored under phase one, while phase two of the programme would see to the empowerment of 1.5 million additional beneficiaries.
She added, “The 4.5 million participants are drawn from the broader 12 million Nigerians targeted to be empowered by 2030 under the national mobilisation campaign.

“Target groups include young women, youth across all six geopolitical zones, and civil servants nearing retirement, offering a post-service livelihood pathway, and participants would be trained in Hydroponic and Agro-Kenaf Enterprise Development, equipping them with climate-smart agricultural skills and tools to build sustainable agribusinesses.

“Importantly, beneficiaries engaged in Kenaf enterprising are projected to earn a minimum income of 400,000 every twelve weeks, creating a reliable and scalable pathway to financial independence and inclusive economic growth.
“The programme is designed to stimulate inclusive economic growth, reduce vulnerability to climate shocks, and strengthen national food sovereignty. It is expected to generate billions of Naira across new agricultural value chains, catalyse thousands of homegrown agribusinesses, and transform rural communities into engines of resilience and prosperity.

Checks also revealed that the expected outcomes of the programme have already been validated by relevant stakeholders, agencies, and ministries, demonstrating a formidable structure and ensuring that the initiative is both credible and implementable at scale.
“This validation underscores the programmes readiness to deliver measurable impact across Nigerias agricultural and socio-economic landscape,” Ogundipe said.
Delivering his remarks, Prince Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan, President of UNESCO REF, highlighted the global and continental significance of the initiative:

This programme is not only a national empowerment strategy but also a model of international best practice. By aligning Nigerias agricultural transformation with the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the African Union Agenda 2063, we are positioning the country as a continental leader in climate-smart food systems, womens economic empowerment, and inclusive growth.

“Above all, this initiative is designed to serve as an instrument of stability, prosperity, and hope for millions of Nigerians and, by extension, Africa.
Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan underscored UNESCO REFs role in ensuring the sustainability of the programme, global visibility, and alignment with international frameworks, thereby strengthening Nigerias voice in both global agricultural innovation and Africas long-term development vision.