Nigeria Agro-inputs Project: At a GlanceOCTOBER 2O14 - OCTOBER 2O17

Project intervention states

Feed the Future Nigeria Agro-Inputs Project has worked since October 2014 with the Federal and State Governments of Nigeria, private sector fertilizer, seed, and agro-chemical companies, and development partner projects to promote a private sector-led agricultural inputs market that enables farmers to access quality and affordable inputs. With funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the ultimate goal is to increase agricultural productivity of smallholder farmers in Nigeria

The project aligns with the Federal Government of Nige-ria’s objective to increase private sector participation in agricultural inputs markets- for a more efficient market-ing system. The project built technical and entrepreneurial capacities of downstream agro-inputs dealers and intro-duced smallholder farmers to productivity-enhancing tech-nologies. Because agro-input dealers and farmers require financing to do business, the Nigeria Agro-Inputs project

also worked with microfinance institutions through value chain financing mechanisms involving farmers, agro-input dealers, and off-takers.

The project implemented its field activities in FCT, Jiga-wa, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Niger, Oyo, and Sokoto states and covers the cassava, maize, rice and sorghum value chains.

OYO

KADUNA

FCT

NIGER

SOKOTO

KANO

JIGAWA

KOGI

PROJECT DURATIONOctober 2014 – October 2017

VALUE OF SERVICES$3 million

WWW.FEEDTHEFUTURE.GOV/NIGERIA

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY INCREASEDTo sustainably increase productivity, Nigeria Agro-inputs project promoted productivity enhancing technologies such as Urea Super Granules (USG) for the Fer tilizer Blend-Urea Deep Placement (FB-UDP) technology, along with best agronomic practices.

Field demonstrations of the FB-UDP technology showed a more than 50% increase in yields on fields that used NPK 20-10-10- 1Zn+ 2S with USG compared with farmers using conventional fer tilizers of NPK 20-10-10 with USG. This shows the efficacy of micronutrient based fer tilizer blends . Eighty percent of the project’s beneficiary farmers have so far applied the improved technologies and associated good agricultural practices.

ACCESS TO FINANCETo catalyze farming from a subsistent to a business endeavor, the project worked with micro-finance institutions to increase smallholder farmers access to finance. Over the life of the project, 60% of the targeted beneficiaries accessed finance which translated to increased use of agro-inputs and improved technologies. PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION

IN AGRO-INPUTS SUPPLY STRENGTHENED Since its inception, the project worked with agro-inputs manufacturers and marketers to develop an agro-inputs supply system aimed at improving farmers access to quality inputs and extension services. Through practical on farm and off-farm training, more than 1,500 agro-dealers in the targeted states were trained and cer tified on product knowledge and business management practices. The project also supported expanding agro-dealer networks to women, youth and other vulnerable groups in rural areas as well as linking agro dealers to financial institutions and end markets.

As a result of the project’s intervention, the agro-input dealer beneficiaries made new investments valued at almost $500,000 in the sector.

BEYOND 2017To ensure sustainability, the project designed the “New-Generation Agro-Input Dealer-Focused Input Supply and Extension Advisory Services” model. It will guarantee continuous on- and off-farm education of farmers, enabling ongoing access to inputs and extension advice. Located in the proximity of the farmer, the New Generation Agro-Input Dealers were selected due to their proximity to farmers and trained to build farmers’ capacity and serve as focal points for technological interventions, extension agents, produce off takers, financial institutions and farm equipment suppliers. With quality inputs, extension advice and regular farm visits provided by the New Generation Agro-Dealer, the model offers a “win-win” opportunity as farmer productivity increases and agro-dealers’ sales and profits increase as well. The model was piloted by 50 New Generation Agro-Input Dealers in the eight states. So far, these New Generation Agro-Input Dealers have supported 189 farmer groups involving 4,118 farmers in the cassava, maize, rice and sorghum value chains.

60% PROJECT BENEFICIARIES

WHO ACCESSEDFINANCE

50%INCREASEI N Y I E L D S

AGRO-DEALERS IN THE TARGETED STATES WERE TRAINED AND CERTIFIED

1,500

4,000 FARMERS WERE EXPOSED TO IMPROVED TECHNOLOGIES

WWW.FEEDTHEFUTURE.GOV/NIGERIA

REACHEDOUT TO

MSMEs5,5OO

4OOOFARMERS

15OOAGRO-INPUTDEALERS

facilitated accessto finance fortargeted beneficiaries

facilitated access

targeted beneficiaries6O%

ENABLED INVESTMENT OF ALMOST $5OO,OOOIN AGRO-DEALERSHIP BUSINESSES.

5O - 1OO%YIELD INCREASETHROUGHFERTILIZERBLEND - UDPTECHNOLOGY

Over$30,000

disbursed by MFBs