The Dutch Government has officially transferred ownership and management of the 2Scale inclusive agribusiness initiative to Nigerian scholars, farmers, and entrepreneurs under the Institute of Agribusiness Management Nigeria. The handover ceremony took place on Tuesday at the FCW Milk Building Centre in Iseyin, Oyo State.
2Scale, which has run for 13 years in Nigeria, was designed as an incubator and accelerator for inclusive agribusiness through public-private partnerships. Funded by the Dutch government, the programme empowered smallholder farmers, micro, small, and medium enterprises, agribusiness champions, and local consumers, while ensuring greater access to affordable, locally produced food.
Over its lifespan, 2Scale attracted more than €30 million in private sector investments, with over €17 million facilitated directly for agricultural value chains in Nigeria. The initiative has also empowered over 1.2 million smallholder farmers, boosting productivity, incomes, and food security.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Nigeria, Bengt Van Loosdrecht, said the handover reflected the Dutch government’s confidence in Nigerian farmers and entrepreneurs to sustain and expand the program.
“It has been a fantastic project. For 13 years, it has enabled a lot of farmers to thrive and scale up their businesses. This project is not ending, it is only changing hands,” he explained. “We are confident that the Institute of Agribusiness Management Nigeria can take responsibility and move it forward. After 13 years of active involvement, farmers and local actors already understand how to make it work. They are now experts in sustaining and growing this initiative.”
Loosdrecht emphasised that sustainability was central to the Dutch approach. While funding from the Netherlands would cease, he stressed that Nigeria had the capacity to sustain such projects independently. “Nigeria is not a poor country. Projects like 2Scale are meant to spark transformation. Once proven successful, they should be owned locally. Funding something forever is not sustainable,” he noted.
President of the Institute of Agribusiness Management Nigeria, Andi Brisibe, praised the impact of 2Scale over the past 13 years, describing it as transformative for the Nigerian agribusiness landscape.
“The models introduced by 2Scale have been very helpful in reshaping Nigeria’s agribusiness sector,” Brisibe said. “While we no longer control the flow of donor funds, we are committed to sustaining the programme’s ideals. The focus will remain on improving the earning power of smallholder farmers. Once you improve the livelihood of the farmer, you automatically strengthen food and nutritional security across the country.”
Programme Director of 2Scale, Marina Diboma, highlighted the initiative’s wide-reaching impact, noting that more than 1.2 million smallholder farmers had benefitted directly during the project’s implementation in Nigeria.
The handover marks a new chapter for Nigeria’s agricultural sector, moving responsibility for 2Scale from international donors to local institutions. With the Netherlands government stepping back, the Institute of Agribusiness Management Nigeria now carries the responsibility of sustaining and expanding the programme.
Ambassador Loosdrecht stressed that the transfer was not an end but “only changing hands,” while Brisibe reaffirmed that the focus would remain on improving farmers’ livelihoods and food security. Diboma added that with more than 1.2 million smallholder farmers already impacted, the foundation has been laid for Nigerian stakeholders to take the programme further.
