What We Do

Priority Investment Targets

Smallholder Farmers and Women: They form the backbone of Nigeria's agricultural sector, with 39% of the working population (223 million) employed in agriculture. Of these, women comprise 25% and youth 36%, highlighting the significant role these groups play. NADF prioritizes support for smallholder farmers and women, recognizing their potential to significantly contribute to agricultural productivity and socio-economic development. By empowering them with resources and knowledge, NADF aims to improve livelihoods and reduce poverty, especially for the 50% of Nigerians living below the international poverty line.

Priority Commodities

Boosting Staple Crops for Food Security and Economic Growth: NADF focuses on cassava, maize, rice, and cowpeas, strategically targeting crops that align with Nigeria's National Development Plan. These crops are:

• Casava: Nigeria is the world's largest producer, and cassava offers food security due to its year-round availability and high caloric value. Grown by 14 million households, cassava has the potential to reduce reliance on wheat imports for flour, but current yields (6 mt/ha) lag behind the global average (10 mt/ha).
• Maize: The second-largest maize producer in Africa, Nigeria cultivates maize in 15 million households. Maize is a key dietary component for both humans (56% of production) and livestock (31%), providing essential nutrients like Vitamin B complex. However, similar to cassava, maize yields (2.2 mt/ha) are below the global average (5.7 mt/ha), presenting an opportunity for improvement.
• Cowpeas: The world's largest cowpea producer, Nigeria recognizes the importance of this protein-rich and affordable crop for food security. Grown by 6 million households, cowpeas also improve soil fertility through nitrogen fixation. However, only 40% of cowpea farmers utilize improved seeds that can significantly boost yields by 26%.
• Rice: Nigeria is Africa's largest rice producer, but with a self-sufficiency rate of only 64%, the country relies on imports to meet demand. Grown by 4 million households, rice yields (1.9 mt/ha) are far lower than the global average (4.7 mt/ha). Unpredictable weather patterns further challenge rice production, discouraging investment in agricultural inputs.

Geo-Focus

NADF prioritizes projects that strengthen domestic food security, against projects involving exports. Our goal is to ensure Nigeria's population has reliable access to affordable and nutritious food.

Agricultural Inputs

Access to Essentials for Improved Yields: NADF facilitates access to high-yielding, disease-resistant seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. This equips farmers with the tools they need to improve crop yields and farm outputs. For instance,

• New disease-resistant cowpea varieties can reduce pesticide use and boost yields by 20%.
• Increased adoption of hybrid maize seeds (from 10% to 50-100%) has the potential to double yields from 2 t/ha to over 4 t/ha.
• Seed input financing can not only enhance production but also reduce reliance on fertilizers and pesticides, promoting more sustainable farming practices.

Implements and Mechanization

Modernizing Agriculture to Increase Efficiency: We support the procurement of modern farm machinery, such as tractors, to enhance farm efficiency and increase the proportion of produce that undergoes processing. Studies show that:

• Increasing the mechanization rate from 0.3 horsepower per hectare (hp/ha) to 0.8 hp/ha could double rice production to 7.2 million tonnes.
• Mechanical harvesting can reduce harvest costs by 43% and total production costs by 12%.

However, the high cost of equipment (e.g., new tractor costing 20 million naira) limits the ability to significantly improve mechanization adoption amongst smallholder farmers.

Infrastructure

Building Resilience and Reducing Post-Harvest Losses: NADF invests in critical infrastructure projects to support long-term farm productivity and reduce post-harvest losses. Key focus areas include:

• Water Management:
  • Expanding irrigation could generate over $600 million in increased income for farmers during dry seasons.
  • Irrigation enables year-round farming and reduces reliance on seasonal rainfall, expanding cultivable land.
  • Unlocking dry season farming significantly improves food security potential.
  • There's an opportunity to drive large-scale adoption of affordable small-scale water management solutions (e.g., drip irrigation).
• Storage:
  • 45% of post-harvest output spoils due to the lack of cold storage, leading to a 25% loss of income for smallholder farmers.
  • Only 1.8 million metric tonnes of warehouse capacity exist for around 30 million metric tonnes of grains and oilseeds produced annually.
  • Investing in storage infrastructure and technologies not only reduces post-harvest losses but also enables an increase in the share of processing, adding value to crops.

Emergency Support

Safeguarding Livelihoods in Times of Crisis: NADF has established a rapid response mechanism to address unforeseen challenges caused by natural disasters or disease outbreaks. This financial support ensures the continuity and recovery of agricultural activities.