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From increasing the vitamin content of eggs to improving water management in rice paddies, from building floating fish cages to introducing beekeeping – the impact of a major FAO food security programme is felt across Nigeria. A team of Chinese experts and technicians are working in the country through a South-South Cooperation programme initiated by FAO. The programme, which is divided into two phases and funded mainly by the Nigerian government, supports Nigeria’s national food security programme. During the first phase, which lasted from 2003 to 2007, some 500 Chinese technicians completed 3 736 field visits, conducted more than 500 demonstrations and implemented more than 200 micro-projects. This not only improved production and livelihoods, but was also replicated by the farmer organizations supported by the programme. As the programme gained popularity due to the success of the first phase, the second phase became more demand-driven. It now responds to requests from states for specific types of support. A total of 190 experts and technicians are working to help improve productivity and capacity in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, including not only farmers but also processors, farm managers and extension workers. The second phase will end in 2015.
In March 2012, a Chinese livestock technician arrived at a poultry farm in northeastern Nigeria to support an FAO-Nigeria-China South-South Cooperation project. The three-hectare farm had 430 laying hens, with an egg production rate of only 25 percent. In addition, the eggs lacked vitamin B1. The technician immediately recommended switching the hens’ feed to one rich in vitamin B1, vaccinating the chicks, and improving hygiene practices. The result: a 60 percent increase in egg production, reduced mortality, and higher poultry growth rates. Meanwhile, during a visit to rice-producing areas in Nigeria, the Chinese technician discovered that the technology used by farmers was inefficient and outdated, which was not only labor-intensive and time-consuming, but also produced poor-quality rice. Similarly, as the technician introduced practical agronomic solutions in areas such as seed and site selection, and by introducing improved processing methods (such as increasing moisture to reduce breakage during processing), farmers were able to more than triple their rice yields per hectare.
Chinese technicians make long-term commitment
These are just a few examples of the hundreds of activities that Chinese experts and technicians are carrying out across Nigeria. These activities are carried out under the support of two phases of FAO’s South-South Cooperation Initiative. Now in its second phase, these technicians don’t just fly in, provide advice and then leave. They actually commit to stay in Nigeria for two to three years to initiate and evaluate technological improvements for farmers, agricultural producers and marketers. Several of those who participated in the first phase returned for the second phase.
The first phase of the program has covered the entire country, providing support for forestry, aquaculture, horticulture, livestock and crop intensification. The activities introduced by the program range from greenhouse production and fruit tree propagation to drip irrigation for water management and fish cage technology for catfish farming. In fact, thanks to the support of technicians, a private farm that owns a lake that has been idle for many years now has 50 fish cages, 8 pontoons and a production capacity of 10,000 fish. And it doesn’t stop there. The farm has set up a hatchery using local materials. It now produces its own fry and sells them to nearby farmers who have also adopted the same technology and even formed a cooperative to work together.
Regional centers increase technology transfer
Due to the success of the first phase of the project, the demand for support increased during the second phase (2009-2015). The project established Regional Multi-Service Extension Centres (REMSECs), which allowed the number of Chinese technicians to be reduced to meet the demand. REMSECs are a strategy to reach more beneficiaries with fewer people, allowing technicians to provide demonstrations to farmers across the region at the same time and work on capacity building and transfer of specific technologies to farmers in the region. For example, REMSECs in the Southwest region focused on caged fish farming, bamboo production and processing, and orchard establishment and management, while REMSECs in the North-Central region introduced simple, affordable agricultural tools and provided training on how to make and use them. This included the manufacture of manual tubewell rigs for communities in the region to drill wells for water supply.
Since its inception, the programme has been continually evaluating its success. FAO has also organized Nigerian delegations to visit China to observe the type of support that China can provide, particularly in aquaculture and rice production. These visits, as well as the evaluations, provide the information needed to make knowledge-based mid-term adjustments. As a result, the programme has been able to have the greatest impact by accurately identifying the needs of rural communities and finding the most effective ways to meet those needs.
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