Expanding economic opportunities in the Nigerian agricultural sector

Though most Nigerians live in rural areas where agriculture forms the basis of their livelihoods, Nigerian agricultural commodities are no longer competitive in regional or international markets. Chemonics is helping expand economic opportunities in the Nigerian agricultural sector by providing targeted technical assistance up and down the commodity chain, increasing productivity, enhancing value-added processing, and increasing commercialization through private-sector led growth and development. The Maximizing Agricultural Revenue and Key Enterprises in Targeted Sites (MARKETS) project has identified priority commodity value chains where productivity gains will significantly affect the economy, and is working in selected areas to transform subsistence farming into commercially competitive agriculture. Access to credit along the supply chain is a prerequisite for the advancement of Nigerian agriculture to a fully commercial and sustainable element of economic growth. This includes the presence of a commercial banking sector capable of managing risk and providing access for small producers, processors, and retailers to credit through microfinance institutions and other non-bank financial institutions. In addition to ongoing activities in dairy, aquaculture, rice, sorghum, and cowpea commodities, MARKETS is the primary platform for implementation of Avian Flu eradication and prevention in Nigeria.