Building resilience among rural farmers in Nigeria

Sabi-Agrik Ltd and partners launched the first phase of a successful agribusiness partnership that supports rural women and farmer groups across Nigeria and Africa on a Farmer’s Voice Project.

The Farmer’s Voice Project began in 2018 as a way of helping rural women groups, local communities and indigenous peoples’ institutions, among others to strengthen their technical and business capacities to fight climate change and improve food security.

The initiative’s second phase is now being rolled out in five more geopolitical regions across the country and Africa, from the original pilot group of thirty.

These groups make up a large proportion of the rural poor and rely on farming, forests and agro-forestry systems to grow food and make a living. Adopting improved farming techniques through training, mentorship and field demonstrations had positive impact on the general farm output per enterprise as identified at the end of the project.

The project identified an intervention which involves rendering their farm enterprises resilient to climate change and this is a key factor of improvement of their livelihoods and identity.

The initiative scales up the effort to help farm producers develop climate-resilient landscapes, strengthen enterprises and generate work opportunities for women and youth; and encourage better policies to help the rural poor while giving them a voice.

One of our lead farmers, a rice seedpreneur based in Ebonyi State in Nigeria, emphasised the need for constant intervention through capacity building for other rural women groups.

The program provides video tutorials that farmers can easily access and thus use the knowledge as a guide to improve their skills for better yield.

Some 70% of the Nigerian populace consists of farmers that add up to over hundred million families who depend on agriculture for their livelihood.

The Farmers Voice’s second phase will use data generated and technical support to strengthen organizations which represent farm producers and other agencies. It will also increase access to markets, finance and training – with a focus on vulnerable groups, such as women and youth.

As Sabi Agrik rolls out adaptation and climate resilience activities, farm producers can better manage their land to withstand climate impacts.