About

RIU is a research for development project. It is gathering and disseminating evidence and lessons on how best to facilitate adoption of agricultural innovation for development. Two broad strategies are being employed:

• Promoting increased demand
  for and use of outputs from the previously DFID-funded Renewable Natural Resources Research Strategy (RNRRS) and Nigeria's own National Agricultural Research System (NARS) outputs for the development of rural livelihoods and economic empowerment through targeted support to selected agricultural enterprises; and
• Learning and disseminating lessons and evidence
  generated from the outcomes of multi-stakeholder agricultural research-for-development interventions, to inform policy as well as up- and out-scaling of successful outcomes.

Brief history of RIU Nigeria
The inception stage of RIU Nigeria programme involved the following activities:

• country assessment completed in March 2007
• a survey and assessment of potential value chain innovation platform stakeholders completed in December 2007
• a country strategy document completed in June 2008
• an implementation plan finalised in January 2009
• the recruitment of the country team in October 2008.

This work enabled the commencement of the implementation stage in December 2008.

Following the review and rationalisation in 2009, the interventions were focused on:

• cassava
• cowpea/ soybean
• aquaculture

The cassava work plan concentrates cassava flour. Cowpea/soybean intervention activities focus on improving the on-farm productivity and the post-harvest activities linked to storage and livestock feed; in aquaculture, the key issues to be addressed include the scarcity of locally-made floating fish feed (especially for catfish) and authentic brood stock, and the need for well-trained service providers in the sector.

The RIU Nigeria strategy is based on the desire to explore new ways of getting research into use and to work with national agencies to adopt successful approaches.

Early lessons learned

• RIU Nigeria has benefitted from its business planning process which has helped to build a shared understanding of the work programme and build a sense of ownership and team spirit around the new business plan. This is in marked contrast to the previous plan which was prepared by consultants and given to team to implement.
• Working with value chain-based fora of self-interested stakeholders (the innovation platforms), has give the team valuable flows of business information, enabling the platform members to clearly identify innovations, raise questions and explore ways of adopting improvements in their businesses.
• RIU can benefit more people and organisations if most members of the innovation platform are representatives of occupational associations rather than stand-alone businesses or individuals. However, the internal organization of these associations can help or hinder uptake or delivery of research into use.
• Policy has a strong impact in the downstream sector where most of the innovation platform members operate. But the downstream sector is not a homogenous group; therefore, the most powerful interests tend to be more effective at influencing policy, while the weaker interest groups must learn to adapt to the policy environment as given. Thus, facilitating change in policy is very slow and difficult.
• RIU Nigeria has developed a strong working relationship with the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) which is now convinced of the importance of getting research into use. Technical assistance has been provided to ARCN on the knowledge management of the research outputs from its member institutions over the last 10 years.
• Perhaps the biggest impact at scale can only be achieved through policy and mainstreaming of effective research into use processes and institutional arrangements. While there are indicators of progress, impact at scale will not be fully attainable as a short-term proposition (i.e. before June 2011 - the end of the current DFID investment).
• Changes at the RIU head office helped with the management of the RIU Nigeria programme - this included greater autonomy for the programme; delegated locally managed funds; more working capital in the business; increased investment; a more focused work plan; and better internal communications from the streamlined head office team.

Achievements to December 2009

• RIU Nigeria formed an RNRRS Outputs Adoption Advisory Committee comprising key resource people who were tasked with reviewing RNRRS research outputs and making recommendations for uptake by respective innovation platform
• Working with 7 national research institutes (see partners), and Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) in 4 states
• The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has participated in RIU Nigeria activities through its research stations at Umuahia (Abia State) and Kano (Kano State)
• RIU Nigeria became acquainted with PrOpCom (Promoting pro-Poor Opportunities through Commodity and Service Markets), another DFID funded programme in Nigeria, and with DFID Nigeria itself. It is hoped that this can develop into programmatic links at a field or country level, that would further leverage the impact of the RIU programme interventions.