Agriculture
and Economics Growth
Agricultural Competitiveness
Our Agricultural Competitiveness projects are designed to alleviate poverty, generate employment, increase food security, and diversify rural economies through the efficient production, marketing and sale of key crops and processed agricultural products. Three closely related economic principles guide these initiatives:
• First, that “human capital development,” as measured by literacy, educational attainment, and health, is closely and directly correlated to the productivity of labor.
• Second, that worker productivity is the single most important determinant of a nation’s competitive advantage and long-term economic growth.
• Third, that the development of a competitive agricultural sector is vital to the overall economic and social well-being of resource-rich developing countries with predominantly rural populations.
Developing a Cassava-based Competitive Cluster in Southern Nigeria
In early 2001, Citizens International (CI) and the New Nigeria Foundation (NNF) conducted a detailed analysis of the cassava sector in southern Nigeria as the first step toward launching a regional cassava production, processing and marketing initiative.
With financial and in-kind support from the Government of Akwa Ibom State, NNF and CI analyzed the potential competitiveness of an industrial cassava “cluster,” mobilized support among the various groups (private research institutes, government agencies, businesses, and farmers’ cooperatives) that will participate in the cluster, and devised a plan for creating the critical factors of competitiveness.
Bringing modern agronomic practices to a traditional crop
In the last six months CI and NNF have begun pilot implementation activities at a model cassava farm in Akwa Ibom State. Experts from CI and NNF are helping local farmers increase their productivity through the introduction of high-yield cassava varieties and agronomic best practices. The resulting productivity gains will enable participating farmers (many of whom are women) to meet their households’ food security needs while contributing surplus produce to higher value-added applications such as the production of dried cassava chips and starch.
Integrated development – the key to CI project success
It is clear that the cassava sector in Akwa Ibom has the potential to spur rural industrial development and raise incomes for producers, processors and traders. Moreover, a competitive cassava sector can accomplish these goals while directly contributing to the food security status of its producing and consuming households. Because cassava is a crop traditionally cultivated by women, this project is expected to benefit women and children – thereby alleviating poverty and improving household health and nutrition – directly and immediately.
The Cassava Competitiveness Cluster will benefit from synergies with our Community Health Services Program (CHSP). CHSP is currently up and running in all nine states of the Niger Delta Region and several states of northern Nigeria.
