The North Central Development Commission (NCDC) has commenced moves aimed at tackling critical challenges to unluck the vast agricultural potentials of the North central region.
Towards this end, the NCDC has initiated a strategic partnership with the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) towards achieving this goal.
This move was underscored during a working visit by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NCDC, Dr. Cyril Yiltsen Tsenyil, when he led members of the Commission’s management team to NIRSAL headquarters in Abuja.
Tsenyil expressed appreciation for the engagement opportunity, noting that the Commission was established to drive holistic development by addressing gaps across key sectors such as security, healthcare, mining, infrastructure, blue economy, climate change and resilience, resettlement and rehabilitation, and education.
He emphasized that the North Central region, widely regarded as the nation’s food basket, possesses the capacity to significantly boost national food security if existing challenges in the agricultural sector are addressed.
According to him, the NCDC is focused on closing critical gaps in agricultural production, including access to improved seedlings, adoption of modern farming techniques, reduction of post-harvest losses, value chain development, processing, and market access.
He further stated that the Commission’s mandate to lift people out of poverty is anchored on promoting agriculture as a viable business, with improved access to credit and enhanced capacity for farmers.
Dr. Tsenyil disclosed that, through collaboration with NIRSAL, the Commission aims to establish comparative agricultural hubs, improve access to markets, and unlock farming opportunities across the states of the region. He also advocated for technical collaboration and capacity building, particularly in promoting communal farming models that ensure security, efficiency, and shared prosperity among farmers.
Speaking in turn, the Managing Director/CEO of NIRSAL, Sa’ad Hamidu, who was represented by Executive Director, Operations, Ewaen Imohe, assured the NCDC of the organization’s readiness to support the Commission’s mandate.
He said that NIRSAL has a highly experienced team capable of delivering on the expectations of the partnership, adding that the North Central region holds immense agricultural potential that can be harnessed to reduce poverty, drive economic growth, enhance food security, address insecurity, and boost export capacity.
During the discussions, NIRSAL officials highlighted key areas of collaboration, including funding for farm clusters, revitalization of agricultural industries, technical support and training across value chains, development of processing facilities, land banking, commodity pricing, storage systems, and standardization.
Members of the NCDC management team also stressed the importance of large-scale, contiguous land development to help mitigate insecurity, which has significantly affected farming activities.
They further emphasized the need to protect farmers and their investments, while creating targeted opportunities for youth engagement in agriculture.
A statement by the Media department of the NCDC stated that both parties agreed to establish a joint technical working group to drive the implementation of the partnership.
Last updated: April 15, 2026 7:34 am
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