Professional Analysis of Agricultural Value Chain Development Programmes in Kebbi State, North West Nigeria

This study provides a professional analysis of agricultural value chain development programmes implemented in Kebbi State, North West Nigeria, with particular attention to the Anchor Borrowers Programme's rice value chain component. Kebbi State, a major rice-producing state under the Kebbi-Sokoto-Zamfara agricultural corridor, has been a primary site for federally supported value chain programmes aimed at achieving rice self-sufficiency in Nigeria. Drawing on agricultural value chain theory and recent agribusiness policy literature from 2020 to 2024, the study employs a practitioner research design. Data are gathered from value chain programme coordinators, smallholder rice farmers, mill operators, financial institutions, and state Ministry of Agriculture officials through structured questionnaires and professional interviews. Descriptive statistics and value chain performance analysis are applied. The study expects to find that while the Anchor Borrowers Programme has expanded credit access and improved paddy yields in participating communities, post-harvest losses, inadequate milling infrastructure, logistics constraints, and loan repayment defaults limit the programme's value creation potential. Market access and price stabilisation mechanisms are also found to be underdeveloped. Recommendations will address strengthening value chain coordination among smallholders and processors, improving financial product design for seasonal agriculture, and integrating quality assurance systems into the rice value chain management framework in Kebbi State. Keywords: agricultural value chain, rice production, Anchor Borrowers Programme, Kebbi State, agribusiness