The Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Feed the Future programme, don empower 311 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the agricultural sector over the past four years.
This initiative, which was announced by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, during the National Agricultural Extension Service Impact-Sharing Workshop in Abuja, has significantly enhanced agricultural productivity among smallholder farmers. Kyari, who was represented by the Director of Agricultural Extension at the National Agricultural Extension Service, Dr Deola Olawuni, highlighted that the collaboration has introduced new business solutions, boosted business growth, and created jobs for youth and women.
The partnership has also improved market access for MSMEs and farmers, promoting the adoption of new agricultural technologies. According to Kyari, “Since 2020, we have jointly identified several impactful agricultural practices as business solutions for farmers, transforming MSMEs into key players in agricultural extension services.”
Director of Winrock International, Jean-Pierre Rousseau, praised the contributions of MSMEs, noting that they serve as change catalysts, bringing innovation and productivity-enhancing inputs to smallholder farmers. A farmer, Garba Salifu, testified to the benefits, stating that his income increased from N487,000 to N1.52 million in the 2023 planting season due to the improved services.
The initiative includes the use of digital tools like the Plantis app, which helps farmers diagnose crop issues independently. The Chief of Party for USAID’s Feed the Future programme, Dr. Ben Odoemena, emphasized the initiative’s commitment to sustainability and the need to scale up the successful models to a wider community of agricultural stakeholders.
