Niger: The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) has announced that its three-year agricultural intervention project has empowered 367,000 smallholder farmers in Niger State. Dr. Ken Ukaoha, the National President of NANTS, noted that the initiative, carried out under the AGRA/Niger State consortium, exceeded its initial goal of reaching 350,000 farmers.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the project aimed to enhance the resilience and productivity of farmers, as well as their income and livelihood across rice, maize, soybean, cowpea, and vegetable value chains. Dr. Ukaoha highlighted the success of the project, noting that smallholder farmers have gained access to more profitable markets, leading to higher incomes and improved bargaining power.
Key achievements of the project included the creation of 2,000 Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to provide financial services to the farmers. In addition, over 124,000 farmers received training on improved agricultural practices, post-harvest handling, and marketing techniques. A significant number of farmers, 203,000 to be precise, were incorporated into supply chains and secured long-term agreements with processors and agro-dealers.
Dr. Ukaoha also recommended the use of digital technology to track commodities and enhance market access, as well as to provide more financing options for VSLAs and smallholder farmers. Mr. Godswill Agwuyi, Programme Officer of AGRA, emphasized the importance of gathering feedback from VSLA groups to assess the project’s impact and to identify future areas of support.
Beneficiaries of the project expressed their gratitude, with Christy Adamu from Paiko highlighting the provision of Point of Sale (POS) machines that have facilitated easier financial transactions. Similarly, Mrs. Naomi Tsado from Victory Poultry Farming Cooperative Society shared that the training received on business development services and conflict resolution has economically empowered her cooperative, with plans to reinvest income generated from a provided grinding machine into additional equipment.