The World Bank has announced a major initiative to deploy up to US$14 billion by 2030 aimed at transforming agribusiness, boosting job creation and strengthening value-chains in developing economies. (MSME Africa)
Titled “AgriConnect: Farms, Firms & Finance for Jobs”, the initiative – unveiled at the Bank’s 2025 annual meetings – signals a shift from isolated agricultural project funding to integrated system-wide reforms spanning small-holder farming, processing, logistics and market access. (MSME Africa)
What the initiative covers
The Bank expects to double its agribusiness commitments to about US$9 billion per annum by 2030, mobilising an additional US$5 billion as part of the $14 billion target. (MSME Africa)
The emphasis is on connecting farms, firms and finance: deploying modern inputs, digital platforms, infrastructure, and financing schemes to bring small-scale farmers into viable agribusiness value chains.
The initiative also focuses on job creation among youth in rural areas, responding to projections that over one billion young people will enter the global workforce in the coming decade. (MSME Africa)
Why this matters for Nigeria and Africa
For Nigeria and countries across Africa, this scale of funding provides an opportunity to revitalise agriculture beyond subsistence farming, enhance food security, reduce dependency on imports and unlock export potential.
Specifically:
It could support Nigeria’s downstream agribusiness development, agro-industrial zones, and value-chain upgrades.
It may help mobilise private capital, improve access to inputs and markets, and absorb youth unemployment in the agriculture sector.
It aligns with broader continent-wide goals to double agricultural productivity, advance land-and-soil health, and build resilient food systems. (World Bank)
Key challenges & what to monitor
Implementation and region-specific adaptation: Translating the global $14 billion pledge into disbursements, projects and outcomes will require strong governance, capacity and infrastructure.
Private-sector mobilisation: The success of the initiative depends on blending public and private capital, especially in financing and scaling agribusiness.
Measurement of impact: Tracking whether jobs are created, farm incomes rise, value-chain integration improves and food imports fall.
Focused attention on Nigeria: With its large agricultural potential but also structural and security challenges, Nigeria will need targeted project design to benefit from the initiative.
