Impact achieved by RIU Nigeria to June 2011

Summary of reach of RIU Nigeria

In June 2010, RIU Nigeria suggested it would impact on 16 million people - or around 10% of the population.

Whilst impact of the policy changes and new working practices may be hard to quantify, some elements of the RIU Nigeria work programme are more easily quantified.

According to RIU Nigeria estimates in June 2011 a total of 14,476,945 people where reached by the programmes.

Aquaculture
2,000 households produced fingerlings
5,175 households used integrated vegetable and fish farming
80 households produced cottage feed

36,275 people based on 5 person households (June 2010 estimate = 7,350,000)

Cowpea/Soybean Crop Livestock Integration Innovation Value Chain Platform
570,000 accessed dual purpose cowpea
608,000 accessed rust resistant soybean
604,800 adopted hermetic cowpea storage

8,914,000 people based on 5 person households (June 2010 estimate = 5,440,000)

Cassava Innovation Platform
404,634 accessed CMD-resistant varieties of planting material
700,490 processed starch and fufu

5,525,620 people based on 5 person households (June 2010 estimate = 4,000,000)

Red Cross project
210 households
1,050 people based on 5 person households

RIU Nigeria has achieved impact at significant scale and has also worked on changing a series of institutional arrangements which have resulted in the innovation platform approach being adapted by national institutions in other context. RIU Nigeria has also facilitated processes that have resulted in guidelines which will drive quality improvements particularly in the aquaculture sector.

New working practices

New working practices were developed such as planting of high yielding disease-resistant varieties of cassava, cowpeas and soybean and hermetic storage of cowpeas.

Fish farmers relied more on certified services and fingerling producers for their sources of brood stock, more fish farmers integrate fish and vegetable farming, more farmers engaged in value addition. Guidelines and criteria for certification of fish products has been produced by the Federal Department of Fisheries, more interagency collaboration has developed between research institutes with related mandates.

There were inter and intra platform partnership between stakeholders, awareness of RIU approach to R4D has been created. These have led to increases in farm production, greater income generation through higher yields and value addition, enhanced food security and synergy of action on platform challenges.

Policy changes contributed by RIU-Nigeria include:

Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) adopted for replication, RIU's Innovation Platform model in designated Adopted Villages in collaboration with selected national agricultural research institutes across the country.

Two commercial banks joined the RIU-assisted agricultural innovation platforms and developed targeted financial products and services to suit the special needs of the innovation platform members such as farmers, processors and marketers. This represents a major shift away for banks which have historically been risk-averse when it comes to loaning to agriculture.

The role of at least 7 partner agricultural development programmes, that have historically been practising top-down agricultural extension, shifted when they participated in multi-stakeholder innovation platforms. Some of the ADPs worked directly with private companies in the supply of inputs or technologies in cowpea, soybean, aquaculture and cassava sectors. The successful trials have provided economic incentives for the transactions to be repeated by the various parties, even without the involvement of RIU Programme. This indicates sustainability potential.

Policy impact: Aquaculture Innovation Platform

Through a stakeholder's workshop, government policies related to aquaculture and their effect on aquaculture development were documented and relayed to the Federal Department of Fisheries.

This led to the production of a 'Criteria and Guidelines for certification of aquaculture products in Nigeria'. This will form the bases for setting standards for fish farming in the future.

Linkage has been created and sustained between National Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) and Nigerian Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR) This has led to synergy amongst the Institutes. Stakeholders now interact freely and have sustained relationships independent of RIU

Impact at scale: Aquaculture Innovation Platform

Fish feed

80 households produce cottage fish feed

RIU worked to cut cost of fish feed by 30% in partnership with the two national fisheries research institutes National Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) and Nigerian Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR) to produce high quality affordable fish meal from low valued Tilapia current price N210/kg and from Clupeids at N242/kg fish meal compared to cost of N350/kg for imported feed.

52% of fish farmers have been linked to reputable input/output markets

Fish seed and fingerlings

NIOMR and NIFFR produce 700,000 fingerlings per month

2,000 households produce fingerlings with proper management and disease control in fish farms.

Farmers had access to certified sources of fingerlings and other service providers and can now produce table size fish at lower cost (N200.00/fish and heavier weight as against N250/fish) from uncertified sources.

10 private sector fish seed producers and two National mandated Fisheries Research Institute were identified and linked to farmers Uptake of these brood stock is on going

Fish production

Fish farmers (28% of the farmers targeted) using earthen ponds have adopted integrated fish and vegetable farming. Others (72%) have not due to lack of space

5376 households integrate fish and vegetable farming. Adoption of integrated fish farming with vegetable production increased income (about N30, 000/month) and ensured an environmentally friendly means of managing waste water.and produce 1/2 million table fish every month (Average weight 1kg).

Linkage has been created and sustained between national research institutes (NIOMR and NIFFR) This has led to synergy amongst them. Stakeholders now interact freely and have sustained relationships independent of RIU.

Documentation of the RIU innovation approach to uptake of agricultural research outputs is on. Lessons have been shared amongst all RIU innovation platforms at the RIU-Nigeria Learning Event, workshops and meetings.

Post harvest

Development of fish farmers capacity for efficient post-harvest fish handling and processing techniques

Fish Farmers gained access and use of locally fabricated fish drying kiln developed by NIOMR.

Policy impact: Cowpea/Soybean Crop Livestock Integration Innovation Value Chain Platform

The Platform has been sensitised and is collaborating with relevant government agencies (Standard Organisation of Nigeria, Nigerian Food Drug Administration and Control, chambers of commerce and Consumer Protection Council of Nigeria) to address the challenge imposed by edible oil importation

Impact at scale: Cowpea/Soybean Crop Livestock Integration Innovation Value Chain Platform

570,000 accessed dual purpose cowpea

608,000 accessed rust resistant soybean

604,800 adopted hermetic cowpea storage

219 tonnes of fodder produced

The yield of local cowpea varieties is between 200 to 500kg/ha while the new varieties yielded 1000 to 1200kg/ha

Rust is a major disease of soybean particularly in middle belt and southern Nigeria. The disease has limited the geographical spread of the crop. Adoption of new varieties have led to spread of the crop to southern part of Kaduna state and Obudu area in Cross Rivers State.

Varieties of Cowpea/Soybean for different production objectives were introduced to farmers.

They were also linked to reliable sources of certified seeds. (Premier Seeds Ltd, Seed Project com. and Certified Seed Out growers)

The seed project Co. Ltd, Jubaili Agro Tech., Superb Feeds & Vet Services, Candel Coy Ltd, provide extension services to farmers and supply farm inputs at company price.

A manually operated Crop Residue Bailer with a capacity of producing 18 bales of 10kg per hour was fabrication and made available to farmers

1 million farmers/marketers were sensitised on the use of Triple bagging and solarisation technology via direct demonstration. About 17million farmers/marketers were sensitized through radio coverage in six states. About 600,000 have adopted the technology so far

The use of the baler was introduced to farmers and extension agents of Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs) of two states (Kaduna and Kano).

The capacity of 10 unemployed youths was enhanced to use the baler in a microenterprise scheme.

Farmers/marketers loss between 50- 100% of their cowpeas if not properly stored within 2 to 6 months of storage. The hermetic cowpeas storage technique recorded 0% loss. In addition cases of poisoning as a result of consumption of cowpeas stored with chemicals had been reported over the years. This has reduced greatly as a result of adopting this technology. Income differential accrued from storing cowpea for 6 months ranged between30% and 50%.

Large quantity of fodder is available for livestock feeding during critical period of dry season when livestock loss weight and could even die.

Local fabrication of manually operated Crop Residue Compacting equipment

An innovative value chain approach to handling Platform challenges has evolved

Lessons on implementation of RIU intervention in the sector was shared at the RIU-Nigeria Learning Event.

An evaluation was conducted by the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria with the following conclusions:

• The linkages in the platform has enabled the farmers access appropriate technologies

These are expected to lead to:

• higher productivity
• lower post harvest storage losses
• higher income for farmers
• safer health/environmental

Policy impact: Cassava Flour Value Chain Innovation Platform

A Platform inception meeting was held where the value chain actors in the cassava sector were mobilized and challenges faced by each segment outlined. Consultants then worked with the Platform members to identify RNRRS that could best address the identified challenges. In the course of the platform activities it was realised that due to absence of policy on 10% cassava flour inclusion in composite flour, lack of supporting infrastructure (electricity) and high cost of flash dryers necessary for the production of high quality cassava flour, the platform shifted its focus to other less expensive farmer friendly cottage technologies that could easily be adopted and could generate income at household levels. Monthly meeting were held by the platform, minutes of such meeting were forwarded to RIU and issued raised that needed RIU attention were followed up. RIU staff attended some of these meetings

Conducted an appraisal of the National Policy Directive on Cassava Flour and presented the findings to the stakeholders. Presented policy appraisal document to the National Assembly (House Committee on Agriculture)

A privately sponsored Cassava Bill was presented to the National, reflecting the interests of the stakeholders in the RIU-assisted Cassava Value Chain Innovation Platform. The bill for 10% cassava inclusion into composite flour is awaiting public hearing

Impact at scale: Cassava Flour Value Chain Innovation Platform

4,635 households accessed high yielding CMD resistant cassava varieties producing 20tonnes/ha/hh
Built capacity of 430 widows on value addition to cassava
Built capacity of 100 ADP extension agents for community based demonstration on value addition


404,634 people accessed cassava mosaic disease-free planting materials
700,490 produced starch and fufu

Farmers have adopted 6 varieties of high yielding Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) resistant cassava.

The adoption of high yielding CMD resistant cassava varieties increased yield from 10 tonnes/ha using local varieties to 20 tonnes/ha. More so the quality of cassava flour these varieties produced is acceptable to industrial flour millers. This has addressed a major challenge of farmers to meet industrial standard which had over the years limited the inclusion of locally produced cassava flour into composite flour.

Built institutional capacities of Abia State Agricultural Development Project (ADP) and National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI) (in what area)

Stakeholders understood and appreciated the need for synergy in the cassava value chain as a tool for sustained development in the sector

Fabrication of cassava hand held peeling tool - A cassava hand held peeling tool was developed by NRCRI. This was utilized and evaluated by 100 participants and Platform members at a post harvest value addition workshop.

Evaluation of its performance indicated that it has significantly (P?0.05) reduced wastage and saved time

Farmers have access to 6 cassava varieties that yield flour of good texture and colour acceptable to flour millers.

Capacity of stakeholders for value addition was enhanced ( starch and odourless fufu)

Farmers were linked to Ihiala starch mills for bulk purchase of fresh cassava roots.