Gates Foundation commits $32m to agric development

By Daniel Essiet

 

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provided agricultural development grants worth $32 million to boost the yields and incomes of millions of small farmers in Nigeria in 2020.

These grants included $1.635 million, which was granted to Enhancing Financial Innovation Access for financial service for the poor. The project is to strengthen the regulatory environment and financial services ecosystem for women’s financial inclusion in Nigeria. Support for the project will last for 35 months.

The Nation‘s investigation showed that much of the funds, however, were given to International Institute of Tropical Agriculture(IITA) under the Global Growth & Opportunity to support agricultural growth. IITA alone was granted $28.419 million for various projects.

These included $2.999 million given last October to advance and sustain AKILIMO, a new agronomy platform with content and decision tools for increased productivity and income of cassava growers in Africa and to expand the approach to other crops. Also, $4.999 million was granted a project in July while IITA also got $1.326 million for a project that will last 61 months.

There was another grant of $1.20 million for the project support that will last 30 months. Last month, IITA was granted $4.898 million for agricultural development. The project support will last 29 months.

Last October, Sahel Consulting got a grant of $1.496 million to promote agriculture. The project will last for 35 months.  Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for 2020-2024, Sahel Consulting’s Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria (ALDDN) is  catalysing  a vibrant local dairy sector in an inclusive way that improves the livelihoods, productivity, nutrition, and empowerment of smallholder women dairy farmers and the communities. in which they live.

ALDDN plans to reach farmers in 15,000 dairy households in Adamawa, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, and Plateau states. ALDDN is implemented in partnership with six private sector dairy companies and with the support of the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Health, Women Affairs & Social Development, and the Governments of Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, and Plateau States.

The dairy processor partners are Arla Global Dairy Products Limited, Integrated Dairies Limited, L&Z Integrated Farms Limited, Majestik Integrated Dairy Farm, Saj Foods Limited, and Sebore Farms Limited, while Technoserve and Agridrive Limited are implementing partners on the ALDDN programme.

Established in 2010, Sahel partners with government agencies, private sector companies and leading international development organizations to conduct in-depth market research on key value chains, analyze and shape policies, develop strategies, launch innovative business and ecosystem solutions, organize convenings and provide training programs that promote sustainable agricultural development across Africa.

 

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