PIND: Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta

Project description / objective

PIND’s overall objective is to generate sustainable reduction in poverty and conflict in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

PIND has been implementing a regional strategy for addressing deep-rooted socio-economic problems (rather than symptoms) in the Niger Delta. It grew networks of international and local partners to collaborate in developing and implementing new solutions geared towards reducing poverty and conflict, and dependence on oil in the region.

Established in 2010 with initial funding of USD $50 million from Chevron Corporation to cover the Phase 1 of programming. It received additional funding of $40m for Phase 2 (2015 – 2019) and currently another $25m for Phase 3 (2020 -2024).

Market system focus

Aquaculture

Nigeria's fisheries market is estimated at 3.2 million metric tonnes. Half of that is met by imports.

Local fish farmers are constrained by poor access to information and training on good pond management practices, poor access to quality inputs, poor access to viable markets

Cassava

Nigeria’s average yield for cassava production is less than 10 tonnes per hectare. This is less than the international average of 30 tonnes/hectare.

Poor stem varieties, lack of access and wrong application of fertilisers and crop protective products impedes the performance of producers. 

Cocoa 

Cocoa is Nigeria’s leading agricultural export with estimated market demand of 500,000 metric tonnes per annum and a local production capacity of 225,000 metric tonnes annually.

Lack of access to quality and productivity improvement practices and technologies, poor access to quality seeds, and lack of coordination amongst actors have been responsible for the poor performance of farmers.

Palm oil

Nigeria imports over 400,000 metric tonnes of Special Palm Oil and about 450,000 of technical palm oil.

Demand far exceeds supply. There are over one million small local producers and processors, mostly in the Niger Delta region, who lack access to efficient processing and harvesting technologies, knowledge on best palm management practices and improved seeds.

Poultry

The Niger Delta region of Nigeria provides a viable market for poultry products due to the presence of large catering companies serving the Oil and Gas sector, and a growing population and middle class. The region is hardly able to meet 20 per cent of the local demand for chicken and eggs valued at over $200m per annum.

Local farmers are not competitive due to poor poultry farming practices, lack of processing capacity, lack of access to quality vaccines (resulting in high mortality rates), and poor access to finance.

Programme interventions

Aquaculture

• Strengthen the capacity of commercial extension services providers to organise demonstrations on best pond management practices in partnership with input companies.
• Improving the technical and managerial capacity of hatchery operators to supply quality fingerlings to farmers. Working with feed companies to increase access and use of quality fish feed.
• Upgrading the skills of local fabricators to manufacture and promote different capacities of fish smoking technologies. 

Cassava

• The use of demonstration plots to increase knowledge and practices of farmers to adopt good agronomic practices.
• Identify and strengthen Village Seed Entrepreneurs (VSEs) to commercially supply quality stems to farmers.

Cocoa

• Improve access to information on best agricultural practices and the commercial adoption of productivity improvement technologies through the Farm Services Providers model.
• Improve the relationship between market actors and facilitate the commercial adoption of quality improvement technologies and practices

Palm oil

• Promotion of best management practices among new and existing oil palm farmers through lead farmers and agro-retailers.
• Demonstration and promotion of improved palm oil processing and harvesting technologies through equipment dealers and fabricators.

Poultry

• Strengthen the capacity of local poultry service providers and vaccine dealers to improve access to information on good poultry practices and quality vaccines.
• Facilitate the set-up of chicken processing plants and the development of out-grower schemes to improve access to market for small local chicken producers.

Notable results (systemic change, poverty impact)

Aquaculture

2013 - 2019:

• Aquaculture Service Providers are selling knowledge of good farming practices by demonstrating good agronomic practices in aquaculture.
• Local fabricators and masons are making and demonstrating the Kiln and Chokor fish processing technologies and selling to fish processors.
• 21,246 pond farmers and processors reached with knowledge on best practices and improved technologies, 10,987 are recording not less than 35 per cent increase in income from adopting
• 5,630 full time equivalent jobs created in the aquaculture sector

Cassava

2015 - 2019:

• Over 30 agro-retailers and five input manufacturers experience increased sales as they organise demonstrations on good agricultural practices to farmers.
• 39,526 farmers reached with knowledge on good agricultural practices.
  16,611 are recording not less than 35 per cent increase in income from adopting.
• 2,183 full time equivalent jobs created in the cassava sector.

Cocoa

In 2019:

• Farm Service Providers, equipment dealers and agro-dealers are demonstrating and selling productivity improvement practices and technologies.
• 7, 628 farmers reached with knowledge on good agricultural practices and quality improvement technologies with 70 per cent adoption.
• 107 full time equivalent jobs created in the cocoa sector.

Palm oil

2013 - 2019:

• Eight agro-retailers and five input manufacturers experience increased sales as they organise demonstrations on best management practices to farmers.
• Over 1,000 harvesting technologies and 192 processing technologies sold by five local fabricators and equipment dealers.
• 39,621 farmers and processors reached with knowledge on best practices and improved technologies.
  9,823 are recording not less than 35 per cent increase in income from adopting.
• 4,988 full time equivalent jobs created in the Palm Oil sector.

Poultry

In 2019:

• Poultry Service Providers are selling knowledge of good poultry practices and facilitating linkages to markets and finance to farmers.
• Facilitated the set-up of three new chicken processing plants in three states in the Niger delta with a combined capacity of 100,000/ month.
• 3, 077 farmers reached with knowledge on good poultry practices and linkages to processors.
  1,033 are recording not less than 35 per cent increase in income from adopting.
• 1,446 full time equivalent jobs created in poultry sector.

[updated August 2020]