Creating wealth through agricultural value chains

Nigeria and ICRISAT

ICRISAT’s work with Nigerian partnersSince 2008 together with Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Institute for Agricultural Research, Nigeria (IAR) and the Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), ICRISAT has been working in the country on sorghum, millet and groundnut.

ICRISAT is working with diverse partners and stakeholders as part of the Nigeria Government-funded Sorghum and Groundnut Value Chain.

Photo: ICRISAT

ICRISAT’s partnership with the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) is aimed at strengthening the groundnut and sorghum seed systems through enhanced breeder and foundation seed production.

ICRISAT is collaborating with the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) to assist women smallholder farmers in setting up processing units and improving their market access.

The Agribusiness and Innovation Platform (AIP) of ICRISAT will facilitate the setting up of a Food Testing Laboratory in Nigeria.

2008

1996-2000

1988

Formal collaboration with Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN).

ICRISAT-Nigeria scientists have been key partners of Agricultural Transformation Agenda

(ATA) since 2012 with their work on sorghum and groundnut value chains.

2015Partner with Agricultural Transformation

Agenda Support Program Phase 1 (ATASP-1), launched in March 2015 to develop commodity

value chains across staple crops like sorghum, to ensure sustainable growth in rural income.

A series of joint on-station and on-farm participatory trials involving state Agricultural and Rural Development Authorities.

ICRISAT set up a research station at Bagauda near Kano to work on improvement of sorghum varieties and hybrids. 2 sorghum varieties, 2 hybrids released with IAR.

Release of SAMNUT 21, SAMNUT 22 and SAMNUT 23 (high yielding, early-maturing,

rosette-resistant groundnut varieties).

IAR and ICRISAT embarked on a large hybridization program to develop early maturing groundnut varieties resistant to rosette disease.

2012

Released two new groundnut varieties, SAMNUT 25 and SAMNUT 26 (good pod and haulm yields, rosette-resistance, early crop maturity, highly nutritiotious and wide acceptability), and one of pearl millet, PEO5984 as LCICMV-4 (increased yield of 29% over local variety) otherwise nicknamed “Jira ne” in Hausa language.

2014

2001

1992

ICRISAT’s activities in Nigeria under the Semi-Arid Food Grain Research and Development/United

States Agency for International Development (SAFGRAD/USAID) project led to adoption of

several sorghum and pearl millet varieties.

1976-85

Milestones

Nigeria and ICRISATCreating wealth through agricultural value chains

Selected ongoing projectsSeed scaling: Groundnut in West Africa (increasing groundnut productivity of smallholder farmers in Ghana, Mali, Nigeria)

Donor: USAID

Grant Period: 2014 – 2018

This project implemented in the three countries (Ghana Mali,and nigeria) are aimed at enhancing the technology dissemination efforts by reaching more smallholder farmers with large scale diffusion strategies for larger impacts mainly in USAID Feed the Future target areas.

Spurring a Transformation for Agriculture through Remote Sensing (STARS) – Imagery for Smallholders: Activating Business Entry points and Leveraging Agriculture (ISABELA) Donor: University of Twente (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded)

Grant Period: 2014 – 2016

The STARS project is a coordinated set of activities, designed to learn, identify opportunities and challenges, and test hypotheses around the potential exploitation of remote sensing technology in improving the productivity of crop-based smallholder production systems and livelihoods of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia (SA).

Bringing the benefits of heterosis to smallholder sorghum and pearl millet farmers in West Africa: Establishing a solid foundation for hybrid development

Donor: BMZ/GIZ

Grant Period: 2014 – 2017

The overall goal of this project is to enhance sorghum and pearl millet productivity in West and Central Africa (WCA), including Nigeria through cultivation of nutritious hybrids, contributing to food security, income generation, and improved nutrition.

Boosting sorghum production, commercialization and industrial utilization in Nigeria

Donor: Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Government of Nigeria

Grant Period: 2013 – 2016The project aims to contribute to the attainment of the Millennium Goals (MDGs) that deal with poverty, hunger, gender and health. The timely availability of and access to good quality seed of

Ambassador of GoodwillDr Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was named an ICRISAT Ambassador of Goodwill in February 2014. Dr Adesina was chosen for his vision and leadership in the agricultural transformation of Nigerian agriculture and his valuable achievements in the field of agricultural research for development in Africa. He joins Mr Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India; Rt. Hon. James Bolger, former Prime Minister of New Zealand; Dr Nigel Poole, Professor and former Board Chair of ICRISAT; Dr MS Swaminathan, Professor and Father of the Green Revolution; Ms Saina Nehwal, badminton champion and Olympic medalist; and Hon. John Kerin, former Australian Minister for Primary Industries.

improved sorghum varieties at affordable prices and in required quantities will ensure increased sorghum productivity. Increased production of quality sorghum coupled with better market opportunities will lead to their improved livelihoods of smallholder farmers through increased income and to better health through increased local consumption of protein rich and high calorific value food.

Engagement for implementation of production and processing of new groundnut varieties and improved cropping system in Nigeria

Donor: Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Government of Nigeria

Grant Period: 2013 – 2016

The overall goal of this project is to increase incomes and enhance livelihoods of the actors along the groundnut value chain through increased productivity by adoption of farmer- and market-preferred groundnut varieties, improved quality of

ICRISAT is a memberof the CGIAR Consortium

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The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is a non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. Covering 6.5 million square kilometers of land in 55 countries, the semi-arid tropics have over 2 billion people, of whom 644 million are the poorest of the poor. ICRISAT innovations help the dryland poor move from poverty to prosperity by harnessing markets while managing risks – a strategy called Inclusive Market-Oriented Development (IMOD).

ICRISAT is headquartered in Patancheru, Telangana, India, with two regional hubs and six country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food secure future.

ICRISAT-India (Headquarters)Patancheru 502 324 Telangana, IndiaTel +91 40 30713071 Fax +91 40 30713074icrisat@cgiar.org

About ICRISAT: www.icrisat.org ICRISAT’s scientific information: http://EXPLOREit.icrisat.org

Several groundnut and pearl millet varieties are being adopted by smallholder farmers leading to higher yields, better incomes and healthier lives.

ICRISAT- NigeriaPMB 3491, Sabo Bakin Zuwo Road, Tarauni, Kano, NigeriaTel: +234 7034889836; +234 8054320384,

+234 8033556795icrisat-kano@cgiar.org

Moving forwardThe ICRISAT Governing Board in September 2014 decided to boost its research in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by investing US$ 5 million towards upgrading research infrastructure and building scientific skills on the African continent. This investment will be across SSA where ICRISAT has its offices and will focus on harnessing the required resources to further advance productivity; for greater self-reliance and resilience, particularly in light of climate change; and for increased participation in the market economy. These new investments will provide greater opportunities for collaborative research and strengthen partnerships along the whole value chain.

ICRISAT will continue to work with Nigerian scientists, producers, development workers, private sector and government departments in addressing the various challenges facing the agriculture and rural sectors of the country to meet the goals of improving food security, alleviating poverty and safeguarding the environment.

grains and produce, and reduced transaction costs. The project will be implemented directly in 15 states (Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara) in the north-west, north-east and northcentral geopolitical zones of the country.

Improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in drought-prone areas of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia through enhanced grain legume production and productivity (TLII Phase 2)

Donor: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Grant Period: 2011 – 2015

The Tropical Legumes II Phase 2 (TLII Phase 2) projectbuilds on the achievements of Phase 1 (2007-2011) as well as outputs from its sister Tropical Legumes I (TLI) project. This project aims to increase the productivity (yield per unit area) and production (total availability) of six major grain legumes – chickpea, common bean, cowpea, groundnut, pigeonpea and soybean. In Nigeria it is being implemented in three states (Kano, Jigawa and Katsina).

Harnessing Opportunities for Productivity Enhancement (HOPE) of sorghum and millets

Donor: CGIAR Fund – Grain Legumes

Grant Period: 2009 – 2015

The main thrust of the HOPE project is to provide poor dryland households with the technologies, linkages, and development impetus they need to harness the pull of these growing markets. In collaboration with LCRIMaiduguri, IAR-Zaria, IFAD-CBARDP and several CBOs, NGOs and private companies, this project is implemented in eight states – Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno.

Grain Legumes – Leveraging legumes to combat poverty, hunger malnutrition and environmental degradation

Donor: CGIAR Fund – Grain Legumes

Grant Period: 2012 – 2015

This program will apply crop improvement and related high-priority value-chain interventions to maximize the benefits that grain legumes offer to smallholder farmers, especially women.

April 2015

Photo: ICRISAT