South-South cooperation in agric is empowering Nigerian farmers

For over 30 years, it has enabled developing countries to work more closely together, sharing knowledge and expertise tried and tested elsewhere in the south to achieve accelerated development impact.  The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) launched the SSC initiative in 1996, primarily supporting the implementation of the Special Programme for […]

For over 30 years, it has enabled developing countries to work more closely together, sharing knowledge and expertise tried and tested elsewhere in the south to achieve accelerated development impact.  
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) launched the SSC initiative in 1996, primarily supporting the implementation of the Special Programme for Food Security in several developing countries. Since then, the SSC has been a very important part of FAO’s Technical Assistance in the design, formulation and implementation of food security programmes in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean.
In September 2013, FAO in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Agriculture of China organised a High Level Forum on SSC in Africa in Abuja. The forum attended by delegations from 12 African countries, China, Brazil, Vietnam and other development partners, noted: “…the increased interest and demand by African and other developing countries for the multilateral SSC facilitated by FAO, as an effective means of promoting and boosting agricultural productivity and food security.,” The HLF was chaired by Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Dr. AkinwummiAdesina.
Nigeria’s  South-South Cooperation Programme:
The SSC programme between China and Nigeria which started in 2003, has to date provided a total of 578 experts and technicians in five (5) successive batches for a maximum period of two years each.  The programme, which is funded by Nigeria and support by China has been fully integrated into and supports Nigeria’s Agriculture Transformation Agenda (ATA), increasing agricultural productivity levels, food security, generating incomes and creating agricultural and off-farm employment for young people.  
Rice production:  When in 2012, Kogi State was hit by the floods impeding family’s ability to provide for itself, rice seeds were distributed to farmers for use in the receding waters. The Chinese experts through SSC helped to design the land preparation and irrigation programme, and the ADP provided training to some 5,000 young people on how to plant rice, control pests and diseases, and apply fertilisers.
Integrated Fish Farming and Cage Fish Aquaculture:  Modern fish farming and aquaculture, especially cage fish culture and integrated rice-fish systems, are creating income opportunities and improving livelihoods in Nigeria through skills and capacity development by SSC experts from China. One of the most successful technologies has been fish cage culture.  DalhaLawal is a farmer who established a 25-member fish-farming cooperative in Katsina State after receiving training from the Chinese. With the profits, he has built a new house, acquired more land, performed the Hajj and bought four motorcycles for commercial use.
The Osin Farms in Osun State, adopted cage fish culture technology in 2009. With SSC experts working with six workers, 18 cages of 2 x 2 metre  each were established and produce about one ton of tilapia fish each, in a six month cycle. In addition, the farm employs 65 workers mostly youth.  
Poultry Agribusiness:  The support focused on strengthening smallholder poultry business enterprises in market-oriented farm business management as well as enhancement of poultry husbandry methods.  According to Hadiza Muhammad who managed the Kubwe Integrated Farm, quail poultry, “we bought 500 baby quails locally, and before long we started producing 250 eggs a day.” Gradually, she has built up a flock of 25,000 birds, with the training she received from an SSC expert. By the end of 2013, Kubwe Integrated Farm had 6,000 quails, producing 3,000 eggs a day.  
Modern Bee Keeping:  Bee keeping in Nigeria is not new, however the SSC has assisted in the introduction of several simple and cheap Chinese bee-keeping and fish farming technologies to over 500 farmers especially in Katsina State. The Chinese demonstrated and trained the farmers on technologies relating to wild bees harvesting, Chinese beehives construction, production and processing of honey.  With the support of Sabuwa Local Government authorities fish farming and bee keeping/honey production are now very popular income generating activities among farmers and unemployed youth in the area.  
YahayaSani (31), from Sabuwa, began traditional honey production at 17 years old. He was then trained in modern beekeeping and was mentored in a four-year SSC knowledge exchange programme by a Chinese expert. He learned how to set up an apiary and now has 48 beekeeping boxes, and is able to sell six cartons of honey every two to three months.  
A glimpse of the future:  The SSC initiative by China-Nigeria-FAO is an excellent model that needs to be up-scaled and be shared with other countries in Africa. Africa needs to increase its food production dramatically, and in a way that is sustainable, affordable and scalable.
Nigeria’s youth are today’s workforce and tomorrow’s future and notably, so finding new and innovative ways of creating jobs is obviously one of Nigeria’s most urgent priorities. When a large young population is educated and provided with appropriate technical skills, and entrepreneurial and decent work opportunities, the youth bulge can translate to explosive economic development.