The creation of more than 520,000 jobs by Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) between 2013 and 2025 has emerged as one of the most visible outcomes of its interventions across Nigeria’s agricultural value chains, with the impact cutting across farming, processing, aggregation, storage, logistics, and market access.
According to performance records released by the institution, the jobs created directly and indirectly supported livelihoods in both rural and urban communities, while more than 3 million lives were impacted through expanded economic activities linked to agriculture and agribusiness. The institution said access to finance played a central role in unlocking these employment opportunities.
In a statement on Sunday, NIRSAL explained that its risk-sharing, insurance advocacy, incentive mechanisms, and technical assistance helped farmers and agribusinesses expand operations, which in turn increased demand for labour across value chains. These included primary production, agro-processing, warehousing, transportation, and export-related activities.
The records show that over 449,000 agricultural value chain actors were trained during the period, strengthening their skills and capacity to operate sustainable enterprises. Through these interventions, more than 159,000 jobs were directly supported, while wider programme activities extended benefits to hundreds of thousands of workers and dependants linked to agricultural enterprises nationwide.
Speaking at the 2nd Edition of the MSME Finance & CEO Awards held in Lagos State, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NIRSAL, Sa’ad Hamidu, said the scale of job creation reflects the effect of structured support for agribusinesses. He said the recognition received by the institution “speaks to the power of structured risk-sharing models, strong partnerships with financial institutions, and the resilience of Nigeria’s agribusiness entrepreneurs.”
Hamidu, who was represented by Akinola Baiyewu, NIRSAL’s Regional Head, South, Business Development Group, noted that the institution’s work was not focused on awards, but on improving outcomes for people whose livelihoods depend on agriculture. He said the goal is to attract more partners who can support safe and sustainable investments that create jobs.
NIRSAL said its partnerships with commercial banks and other lenders enabled credit flow to sectors that traditionally struggle to access financing due to perceived risks. These partnerships supported commodity exports, agro-processing, input supply, storage, warehousing, and logistics, all of which are labour-intensive activities.
The institution also highlighted its role in programme management for state governments, private investors, and cooperative-led production clusters, noting that improved farmer onboarding, geo-mapping, soil testing, mechanisation support, and field monitoring helped boost productivity and employment outcomes.
On its role as a facilitator rather than a lending institution, Hamidu explained that financial capital already exists within the system, but risks across value chains often limit lending. He said the shift recorded in 2025, when approved credit guarantees exceeded N100 billion, shows growing confidence among lenders, translating into more jobs and stronger livelihoods for Nigerians involved in agriculture and agribusiness activities nationwide.
