The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), in a joint initiative with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), announced that they empowered 311 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through the Feed the Future initiative.
Over the past four years, this effort has improved agricultural productivity for smallholder farmers, according to Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari.
Speaking at the National Agricultural Extension Service Impact-Sharing Workshop in Abuja, Kyari told participants that the partnership with USAID boosts business solutions, creates jobs, enhances market access, and sustains Nigeria’s agricultural development.
Represented by the Director of Agricultural Extension at the National Agricultural Extension Service, Deola Lordbanjour, the minister said, “The impact of this collaboration spans new business solutions, enhanced business growth, and created jobs for both youth and women while boosting access to markets for MSMEs and farmers.”
He added, “Since 2020, we have jointly identified several impactful agricultural practices as business solutions for farmers, transforming MSMEs into key players in agricultural extension services.
“The results are also visible in the number of farmers that were reached with improved production practices, about 311 MSMEs that received different support to provide farmers with advisory services, and State’s Agricultural Development Programme.
“Our mission has been to provide effective and efficient demand-driven extension services to all categories of farmers, including youth and women.”
In addition to USAID’s support, Winrock International, a development organisation with a global reach, played a key role in facilitating the adoption of new agricultural technologies, further boosting the productivity of smallholder farmers.
International Director Jean-Pierre Rousseau praised the contributions of over two million smallholder farmers, enhancing productivity directly at the farmers’ doorsteps.
“Today we have MSMEs serving as change catalysts, bringing innovation and productivity-enhancing inputs to the doorsteps of 2 million smallholder farmers.”
Subsequently, the Chief of Party for USAID’s Feed the Future programme, Dr. Ben Odoemena, said the initiative empowers farmers to access and identify soil problems without external inspections.
He added, “This collaborative effort aims to increase access to improved agricultural technologies across several states, facilitating learning and replication of effective agricultural models.”