Five women-led rice processing groups supported by the Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development-Value Chain Development Programme (FG/IFAD-VCDP) have received the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) Quality Mark Award.
The award was presented on Thursday in Abuja at an event organised by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to recognise compliance with African Standards (ARS) adopted as Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS).
The beneficiaries, drawn from Borgu, Mokwa, Edati and Kontagora Local Government Areas of Niger State, were selected for their outstanding performance and adherence to internationally recognised quality standards.
IFAD Country Director, Ms Dede Ekoue, said the award reflected progress in promoting quality standards and agricultural value chain development in Nigeria.
Ekoue, represented by Mrs Chioma Adiele-Okpara, IFAD Country Programme Officer, said the recognition showed the impact of the FG/IFAD-VCDP in strengthening agribusinesses, improving product quality, enhancing competitiveness and promoting inclusive rural economic growth.
According to her, the certification recognises not only compliance with quality standards but also the hard work, resilience and entrepreneurial spirit of rural women processors.
“This achievement reflects the FGN-IFAD vision of transforming smallholder farmers and rural producers from subsistence operators into profitable and sustainable agribusiness entrepreneurs.
“Across Nigeria, IFAD-supported programmes are investing in farmers, processors, cooperatives and rural enterprises to increase productivity, add value, improve market access and generate decent incomes.
“We firmly believe that smallholder farmers are not merely beneficiaries of development programmes; they are entrepreneurs, business owners, employers and critical actors in transforming national food systems,” she said.
Ekoue said the certification demonstrated what could be achieved when farmers and processors were supported with the right skills, infrastructure, market linkages, access to finance and quality assurance systems.
She added that by meeting internationally recognised standards, the women-led enterprises had positioned themselves to access larger markets, boost consumer confidence and enhance the competitiveness of Nigerian agricultural products.
The IFAD country director said the recognition aligned with the objectives of the International Year of Women Farmers and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Declaration, both of which promote inclusion, resilience, rural enterprise development and women’s empowerment.
She reaffirmed IFAD’s commitment to supporting programmes that enhance productivity, strengthen value addition, improve access to finance and markets, and create sustainable livelihood opportunities for rural households.
Also speaking, Dr Fatima Aliyu, National Programme Coordinator of FG/IFAD-VCDP, described the award as a landmark achievement for the beneficiaries.
Aliyu said the certification would enable the processors to access export opportunities across Africa.
“The intervention of the VCDP has empowered these women to a level where they can export their rice to any part of Africa. The quality of their products can compete favourably anywhere on the continent.
“This is a testament to the Federal Government’s commitment under President Bola Tinubu to support rural farmers and processors to grow sustainable businesses,” she said.
According to her, the VCDP is being implemented in 63 local government areas across nine states of Niger, Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Ogun, Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi.
She said the programme aims to improve food security and increase the incomes of rural smallholder farmers, processors and marketers.
One of the award recipients, Mrs Rachael Ahmed, said support from the VCDP had helped her group increase its rice processing capacity from five metric tonnes to 15 metric tonnes.
Ahmed expressed confidence that the recognition would increase the visibility of their products and encourage greater investment in rice production and processing. (NAN)