BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
An International Non-governmental Organisation, Feed The Future Nigeria has empowered 2.1 million smallholder farmers–69% males, 33% women and 31% youths–on improved and safe agriculture in seven States.
The empowerment was carried out through 311 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) for smallholder farmers in Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Niger states.
News Rider reports that the MSMEs provided inputs and extension services on most impactful and improved agricultural practices since 2020, thereby increasing the farmers' income by more than 100 percent.
To this end, the organisation has concluded plans to hold a media engagement on October 21 and National Impact Workshop on October 23, 2024 in Abuja.
Feed the Future is a USAID and PIND-funded 5-year extension activity that works with Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to provide alternative models of Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services for Nigeria.
It was designed to increase access and adopt improved agricultural technologies and practices for two million smallholder farmers in the seven benefitting states.
At least, about 70 percent of the improved agricultural practices introduced by the organisation through the MSMEs are climate smart, meant to assist the farmers adapt or build resilience to climate change.
A total of 1,088 gainful jobs were created by the MSMEs mainly for the youths to cope with increasing demand for agricultural inputs and extension by expanding the number of farmers in their business networks.
The extension activity, which started in 2020, had provided access to agro-inputs and extension messages to smallholder farmers through its partnership with the MSMEs, big agricultural firms and government, both at the national and subnational levels.
Its primary focus was to ensure that farmers invested their limited resources on valuable products, services, and technologies, as well as integrating adaptive management and peer learning in business development for MSMEs in order to scale-up successful models.
A statement by the Communications and Advocay Manager, Feed The Future Nigeria Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Activity, Mr James Bigla on Monday in Abuja, revealed that the extension activity also worked with some universities and state Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs) to integrate digital extension in the agricultural curriculum and public sector systems.
He stated that one year to completion of the programme, it became necessary to share the impact of the project with other key stakeholders across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, likewise for stakeholders residents abroad.
The workshop will explicitly highlight the powers of collaboration with the government and create synergy between the government and private sector in extension delivery in Nigeria.
It will further create awareness on lean methodology to agriculture that will lead to Most Impactful Practices (MIPs), and expose the innovative and market-led extension delivery practices that stimulates private sector involvement in extension services.
Another expectation from the workshop is that it will showcase evidence-based results and impacts from the implementation of extension activities across the states, in various forms, including video documentary.
At the end of the event, policy makers, research institutes and universities are expected to mainstream extension services into planning and decision making, targeted at improving agriculture in Nigeria.
Also, development partners including the NGOs will adopt extension activity’s alternative models to achieve inclusion, enhance the quality of services, scale results and ensure sustainability of their development initiatives in the area of agriculture.
Agricultural firms, including input dealers, produce aggregators, processors and farmers will be able to mainstream extension activities innovative approaches to their agricultural practices and transactions in order to grow their business.
This is in addition to financial institutions that will leverage the lessons and outcomes to make sound investment decisions for smallholder farmers.
Extension activity promoted most impactful practices, which are technologies that yields the highest value to the MSMEs and smallholder farmers.
The partnerships with different stakeholders led to huge successes, including some transformations in Nigeria’s extension system, increased productivity and income of the smallholder farmers, likewise created jobs for women and youth within and outside the seven focal states.
Presently, it has identified 39 Most Impactful Practices (MIPs) as key extension innovation messages or business solutions that MSMEs need to reach smallholder farmers to enhance their capacity.
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