Outline of the Project

Project Name

Project on Promotion of Market-oriented Agricultural Extension System for Livelihood Improvement

Subject

Agricultural/ Rural Development

Country

Nigeria

Date R/D Signed

30 October, 2019

Project Site

20 target states based on six geo-political zones.
(North East) Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba
(North West) Jigawa, Kebbi, Kano
(North Central) Nasarawa, FCT, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Benue
(South West) Osun, Ekiti, Ogun
(South East) Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo
(South South) Cross River, Edo

Term of Cooperation

Aug. 31, 2020 to Aug. 31, 2024

Implementing Organization

Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Background

Agriculture is an important sector in Nigeria, accounting for about 25% of GDP, with an annual growth in agricultural activity exceeding 3% in recent years. However, the significant increase in production and consumption of horticultural crops has yet to provide a positive impact on farmers due to limited market access and a sharp drop in selling prices triggered by seasonal supply concentration.

Growing inequality is one of the main development challenges in Nigeria. The country has a GINI coefficient of 42.2% (World Data Atlas, 2017) and over 87 million people live below the absolute poverty line (USD 1.9/day), a number that is increasing with the population growth. Moreover, about 70% of Nigeria's employed population is engaged in agriculture, and the country's agricultural sector is characterized by a large number of small-scale farmers, with a cultivated land area of 0.18 ha per household (World Bank, 2016). Improving the livelihoods of these small-scale farmers is an important development challenge. Furthermore, improving the nutrition of the population is also a major challenge in Nigeria, as approximately 30% of children under five years of age comes under the category of chronically malnourished (NDHS, 2014).

Since 2015, the Federal Government of Nigeria has continuously sent personnel to the ‘Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment & Promotion(SHEP)' training organized by JICA. In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa State, Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) officials who participated in the training conducted SHEP activities by themselves. After assessment of these activities and the effectiveness of the SHEP approach, the Nigerian authorities requested further support from the Japanese Government to further disseminate the SHEP approach in the country to increase the productivity of smallholder farmers engaged in the horticulture sector and strengthen marketing.

As a response to the request, a detailed design study team from JICA was dispatched in May 2019 to Nigeria to define the framework of the "Project on Promotion of Market-oriented Agricultural Extension System for Livelihood Improvement" (hereinafter called, the Project) with the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The Overall Goal

Extension service for livelihood improvement of smallholder farmers is sustainably delivered within the implementing States and to other states.

Project Purpose

Quality of extension service for livelihood improvement of smallholder farmers in the implementing States is improved.

Output

Output 1: Mechanism for extension of SHEP Approach is customized on specific conditions of Nigeria.

Output 2: Implementation system for extension service with SHEP Approach is established in the implementing State.

Output 3: Implementation system for promoting nutrition improvement is established in the implementing States.

Project Activities

1-1	Conduct ToT on "SHEP Master Trainer" for the counterpart personnel of the Project Team at federal level in collaboration with ex-SHEP trainees
1-2	Conduct ToT on "SHEP Trainer" for SHEP Implementation Teams consisting of the staff of ADPs of the target States
1-3	Conduct proposal method of competition by collecting State Action Plans (Phase 1&2) developed by the ADPs
1-4	Select prioritized target States (the implementing States) to support the implementation of Action Plans (Phase 1&2)
1-5	Provide technical backstopping for the selected ADPs to implement their Action Plans (Phase 1) in the model site(s)
1-6	Monitor the process of implementation and evaluate impacts on target farmer group(s) in the model site(s)
1-7	Finalize the mechanism for extension of SHEP Approach in Nigeria through sharing the results of monitoring and evaluation

2-1	Conduct workshops for staff of the ADPs and other departments in the Ministry of Agriculture in the implementing States
2-2	Conduct trainings for front-line extension agents deployed in the implementing States
2-3	Facilitate implementation by front-line extension agents based on the State Action Plans (Phase 2)
2-4	Provide technical backstopping for front-line extension agents to support farmer groups in their duty stations

3-1	Customize modules and tools for sensitization of nutrition improvement provided by the JICA Nutrition Improvement Project
3-2	Conduct ToT on nutrition improvement in association with ToT on SHEP Approach for SHEP implementation Teams of ADPs of the target States
3-3	Conduct a series of activities on nutrition improvement to the members of target farmer groups in the implementing States, including baseline survey, sensitization and end-line survey with SHEP Approach
3-4	Share the results and observations of monitoring and evaluation with State-level government officials related to nutrition improvement

Inputs
[Japanese side]

1. Dispatch of Japanese Experts
2. Training for Counterpart Personnel (in Japan and/or a third country)
3. Office equipment and other necessary equipment for the Project
4. Operation cost

Inputs
[Nigerian side]

1. Assignement of counterparts personnel
2. Provision of office space and local cost