Minna, Niger State - May 20, 2026 - ThriveAgric, a leading agricultural technology company, in partnership with AGRA, today hosted a Launching and Field Day Event in Niger State. The event marks a major milestone under the collaboration aimed at Strengthening Farmers' Resilience and Climate-Smart Agricultural Production Systems in Niger State." The initiative aims to equip smallholder farmers with solar-powered irrigation and post-harvest infrastructure to mitigate climate risks and enhance food security.

The field day, held across communities in the Bosso and Gbako Local Government Areas (LGAs), brought together government officials, international development partners, agricultural experts, and local smallholder farmers. The event featured the official commissioning of a Solar-Powered Borehole System in the Maitumbi Community, alongside live demonstrations of Productive Use of Energy (PUE) technologies, including Solar Irrigation Pumps, Solar Multi-Grain Threshers, and Solar Bubble Dryers, at the ThriveAgric Warehouse in Talba Market.

This initiative directly addresses the climate vulnerabilities faced by grain producers in Northern Nigeria. By replacing traditional fossil-fuel-dependent practices with sustainable, solar-driven technologies, the initiative allows farmers to access year-round water supply, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve the overall quality of their yields. This clean-energy transition is a key driver for scaling up climate-smart agricultural production and linking rural farmers directly to structured, high-value commercial markets.

The Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture, Niger State in his address at the launch, delivered by the Permanent Secretary of the Niger State  Ministry of Agriculture - Dr. Mathew Ahmed highlighted that, “The Niger State Government highly commends ThriveAgric and AGRA for this timely intervention. This initiative is a vital step forward in our climate change mitigation efforts, particularly in protecting our communities against the harsh realities of seasonal dry spells. By deploying solar-powered irrigation and infrastructure, this partnership directly aligns with our ministry's vision to modernize agriculture, safeguard rural livelihoods, and build long-term food security for our farmers." 

Delivering his goodwill remarks during the launching, the Country Director, AGRA, Mr Rufus Idris, represented by the Program Officer, Dr Esther Ibrahim, emphasised the transformative nature of the partnership: “This initiative reflects our shared commitment with ThriveAgric and government partners to build resilient food systems by strengthening the capacity of smallholder farmers to withstand climate shocks. By investing in solar-powered irrigation and post-harvest technologies, we are helping farmers move beyond subsistence toward more productive, sustainable livelihoods , enabling them to adapt, diversify, and thrive in more inclusive and competitive food systems.”

Commenting on the deployment of the clean-energy equipment, ThriveAgric’s Vice President of Product & Innovation, Sula Bello noted: “True-innovation doesn't just digitize the farm, it future proofs it. By integrating clean energy into farmer operations, we are empowering them to scale productivity while building a sustainable, climate resilient food system.”

The event also highlighted firsthand accounts from local beneficiaries who have transitioned to climate-smart systems. To date, the project has reached over 8,000 farmers in the region, planting over 20,000 trees across six local government areas. The project has also witnessed the aggregation of over 15,000 MT of grains unlocking structured markets access to smallholder farmers and providing employment opportunities for youths who are last mile extension delivery agents to improve their livelihoods.

This is a part of the broader initiative this partnership is focused on; Strengthening Farmers’ Resilience Through Climate Smart Grain Production and Accessing Structured Markets in Nigeria.

The launch event concluded with an official commissioning officiated by the Commissioner for Agriculture, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Niger State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Mathew Ahmed, underscoring the strong public-private alignment driving agricultural transformation in the state.

This initiative represents another major milestone in ThriveAgric’s broader mission to build Africa's largest network of profitable, climate-resilient smallholder farmers and shield the continent's food value chains from the shocks of environmental change.

The project is proudly supported by a coalition of international partners, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the German Cooperation (implemented by KfW), The Rockefeller Foundation, and UK International Development.