Deadline: 26-Feb-21
The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is pleased to announce the Agricultural Transformation in Nigeria to Increase Yields, Resilience and Improved Food Security for Smallholder Farmers.
Through the funding of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) via KfW, the grants AGRA is calling for are meant to build on existing investments at country level that seek to build/strengthen agriculture value chains and integrate natural resources management principles in food systems. Specifically, these grants will seek to demonstrate, in practical terms, how agriculture value chains can integrate both business sustainability and resilience in food systems.
Grant Intervention Areas
This is a call for concept notes for projects addressing sustainable agricultural transformation in Nigeria to increase yields, resilience and improved food security for smallholder farmers focusing on resilience, sustainability, production, and marketing constraints of selected staple food crops. The call is open to implementing organizations in Nigeria focusing on Kaduna and Niger States.
- Grants may support any of the following issues (list not exhaustive) scaling up production of staples (Maize, Rice, Soybean, Cowpea & Vegetables) and their contribution to soil fertility, nutrition, income and carbon sequestration – this will require strengthening seed supply systems using seed companies and the promotion of integrated soil fertility management practices through provision of extension advisory services to the farmers.
- Promote the adoption of water harvesting technologies and the efficient use of the water on farms – for enhancing productivity and conservation.
- Wide-scale uptake of climate smart and environmental sustainability practices such as conservation agriculture, good agronomic practices, postharvest management, and processing practices. This will require providing technical guidance and identifying institutional and market incentives that help address challenges associated with adoption of climate smart and environmental management in smallholder agriculture.
- strengthen functional markets, finances, information and risk mitigation measures by farmers and other value chain actors.
- Strengthen MSME’s capacity (particularly women and youth owned) along the focus value chains.
- Establishing and/or strengthening of private sector linkages between lead firms and/or offtakers engaging with small-scale farmers for more predictable markets.
- Development and dissemination of knowledge products on project experiences including lessons and scaling up of practices with the policy makers and private sector actors.
Eligibility Criteria
Organizations contemplating submission of applications in response to this request for concept notes (RFCNs) must determine whether they meet the following requirements to be eligible for AGRA financial assistance:
- Minimum of 5-7 years of demonstrable organization systemic working experience in any or a combination of the following systems level areas: Value Chain Development, Regenerative Agriculture, Seed systems, Fertilizer systems, Market systems, SME development, Agriculture and/or Development policy, Access to finance, Extension systems, Climate-smart Agriculture, Natural resources management in agriculture in Nigeria.
- Demonstrable ability to work with private sector partners and have experience leading/facilitating value chain development and resilience building initiatives. Prior experience working with women and youth is an added advantage.
- A team with experience working in smallholder agriculture value chains in Nigeria; experience in natural resources management, climate change, SME development and working with national institutions.
- The organization should be operational, hold a valid and current registration in Nigeria.
- Provide evidence of existing relationships working in the development value chains and resilience technologies.
- Provide CV’s of key staff proposed for this assignment
- Organization must have accounting systems acceptable to AGRA and corporate integrity/ethics.
- Organization must not be excluded from the eligibility to receive AGRA’s donor-provided funds.
- Can be a governmental, non-governmental or private institution.
For more information, visit https://agra.org/rfcn-agricultural-transformation-in-nigeria-to-increase-yields-resilience-and-improved-food-security-for-smallholder-farmers/