NANTS-AGRA Intervention Programs in Niger State - The National Association of Nigerian Traders NANTS

Over burdening to our small holder farmers have been the struggle to access finance for their businesses, the constant decline of their produce at the market place for issues bordering on poor grain quality from poor post harvest handling and storage methods. These among other issues have kept the small holder farmers at the base as persistent peasants.

National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) with support from #AGRA rolled out a 3 year intervention with a model to re-engineer the agribusiness processes in Niger State to change this narrative.

NANTS intervention on the AGRA project was able to conduct trainings for Community-Based Advisors (CBAs) on Commodity aggregation, collective produce sales and marketing to build their capacity on group formation, dynamics and management.

The CBAs in turn through stepping down model were able to reach out and train the farmers and farmers groups in their localities to propagate the essential competencies needed for the resultant high quality grains which comes out to the markets in Niger State.

The VSLA concept to train SMEs on financial literacy and financial management, training of CBA Farmers on quality grain processing and management as well as post harvest activities prior to aggregation and offtaking on the project through intensive trainings has built their capacities on best practices in terms of post harvest handling and grain quality standards and eased the interface between farmers and offtakers as aided by the collective produce aggregation and sales strategy.

Hence, the beneficiaries so far have been able to standardize the business operations in line with best practices for easy access to finance.

NANTS has also empowered a Cooperative with a modular grain processing mill with the aim of encouraging more production of rice within the community and as well as integrate more women and youths in the rice value chain.