COCOA DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF STCP (Past, Present, Future) By Mrs Kehinde Ajao

COCOA DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF STCP (Past, Present, Future) By Mrs Kehinde Ajao

Outline Overview of the Cocoa Sector in Nigeria Cocoa Development- (1960-1987), (1988-2006) Establishment Of The National Cocoa Development Committee Cocoa Development (2006-2010): Collaboration with IITA/STCP Cocoa Development roadmap Other Projects Involving IITA/STCP-Nigeria. Achievements As A Result Of The IITA/STCP Intervention (2006 2010) Areas Needing Attention Possible Areas of Further Assistance Conclusion

Overview of the Cocoa Sector in Nigeria Nigeria s agriculture is characterized by small holder farming. Cocoa cultivation in Nigeria has undergone significant changes in its dynamics in the last decade in response to factors such as variations in international demand and prices, strategic interests of major industry players as well as paradigm shifts in government policies at both the federal and state government levels.

Cocoa Development (1960-1987) Cocoa was the most important agricultural export crop during 1960-1970, contributing significantly to the foreign exchange earnings of the country. The production increased gradually to 308,000 metric tonnes in 1970/71.

Cocoa Development (1960-1987) contd. The Structural Adjustment Policy period introduced liberalization which resulted in improved cocoa pricing at the farm gate and increased output in the short run. However it negatively affected the cooperatives which virtually collapsed after the abolition of the Commodity Boards. By 1999, the production level had declined to 170,000 metric tones.

COCOA PRODUCING STATES IN NIGERIA

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL COCOA DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE (2000-2005) Against this backdrop therefore, the Obasanjo Administration set up the National Cocoa Development Committee in December 1999 and domiciled it in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The Committee was given the mandate to, among other objectives, develop a blueprint for reviving the cocoa economy with a special attention on cocoa rehabilitation.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL COCOA DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE CONTD. The overall goal of the National Rehabilitation Programme is to increase cocoa production substantially and improve its quality. The specific objectives include; to improve cocoa farmers income to diversify foreign exchange earnings: with the specific target of increasing cocoa production from 170,000MT to 320,000MT p.a in the short term and 600,000MT p.a in the long run.

Composition of the Committee The NCDC is a Presidential Committee with membership drawn from: The fourteen cocoa producing States Private sector stakeholders made up of cocoa farmers, processors, marketers: and

Composition of the Committee contd Federal Agencies namely: Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Commerce, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN). The Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development is the Chairman of the Committee, while Deputy Governors represent their member States.

Structure of the Committee The Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme is implemented through the various subcommittees of the NCDC under the chairmanship of Deputy Governors, who also chair State NCDC Committees.

The intervention of the Committee in training of farmers The training activities of the Committee was cocoordinated and implemented through the Subcommittee on Sensitisation, Training and Implementation Support. Initially, training of farmers was done by specialists from the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN). The training was found to be inefficient and ineffective. First, it did not provide the practical experience the farmer needed. Secondly, the curriculum was limited in scope and the number of farmers that could be trained was very small.

COCOA DEVELOPMENT (2006-2010): COLLABORATION WITH IITA/STCP The collaboration between the Committee and the IITA/STCP was informed by the positive results of the 3- year Pilot Phase of the STCP Projects in Ondo State. This led to the invitation extended to the STCP Team comprising of the former Regional Manager Dr. Stephen Weise and Dr. Chris Okafor to make a presentation to the NCDC.

COCOA DEVELOPMENT (2006-2010): COLLABORATION WITH IITA/STCP CONTD The Committee was impressed with the FFS Approach which not only enhanced the productivity of participant s farms but also reduced their expenditure on agrochemicals. More importantly, farmers were empowered to take front line position in understanding and taking action on production constraints they are experiencing on their farms.

COCOA DEVELOPMENT (2006-2010): COLLABORATION WITH IITA/STCP CONTD. Consequent upon this presentation therefore, the Committee adopted the FFS Programme as its Extension Delivery Strategy. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Federal Government of Nigeria, representing the 14 cocoa producing states and the IITA/STCP in 2006. Collaboration with STCP was coordinated by the NCDC Sensitization, Training and Implementation Support Sub Committee.

The NCDC/ IITA-STCP FFS Capacity Building Project The Project is a partnership between the NCDC and the 14 cocoa producing States with technical backstopping by STCP and its national partners. The project seeks to assist the States to develop the FFS capacity within the extension services of their Ministries of Agriculture, which had virtually collapsed.

COCOA DEVELOPMENT ROAD MAP RATIONALE The roadmap is expected to address constraints in the value chain, namely, production and productivity, grinding (processing), marketing, research and development as well as increased local consumption, and how to develop the cocoa sector and reposition it as a viable competitive sector globally from 2009-2018. NALE:

ROAD MAP STRATEGIC PILLARS 1. Production and productivity Training (GAP) and quality Rehabilitation Inputs (chemicals and fertilizer) Credit Labour saving Income diversification Rural infrastructure Youth involvement

ROAD MAP PILLARS 2 Marketing Public private sector cooperation in investment in marketing structures, marketing information systems, grading, dispute resolution mechanisms 3. Local processing capacity 4. Local consumption 5. R&D(high, early-yielding, disease resistant varieties 6. Institutional support and policy environment Institutional arrangement for Extension support services Public private cooperation framework for cocoa development

OTHER PROJECTS INVOLVING IITA/STCP-NIGERIA STCP is also collaborating with other institutions and organizations in cocoa development. In 2005/6, STCP-Nigeria partnered with the Associate in Rural Development (ARD) in implementing the FFS approach on cocoa agro forestry in Cross River State through a USAIDfunded project, the Sustainable Practices in Agriculture for Critical Environments (SPACE)

ACHIEVEMENTS AS A RESULT OF THE IITA/STCP INTERVENTION (2006 2010) Improvement in quality and achievement of short term target. All 14 States have developed the capacity to implement (FFSs) Eight of them have implemented at least one FFS session. 4,040 farmers have so far been trained by the states under the initiative;

ACHIEVEMENTS AS A RESULT OF THE IITA/STCP INTERVENTION (2006 2010) CONTD. Several communities in Cross River State, Ogun and Osun states have either individually financed FFSs or partnered with their states extension services in implementing FFSs. 1368 farmers have been trained by the communities in collaboration with their state governments and STCP;

ACHIEVEMENTS AS A RESULT OF THE IITA/STCP INTERVENTION (2006 2010) CONTD. Under the SPACE project a total of 780 farmers were trained in Cross River State.; Through the on-going Cocoa Livelihoods Program (CLP), 2736 farmers have been trained During its pilot phase 2,204 farmers were trained by STCP-Nigeria

ACHIEVEMENTS AS A RESULT OF THE IITA/STCP INTERVENTION (2006 2010) CONTD. In all, STCP-Nigeria and other collaborating agencies have directly trained 11,128 farmers through Farmer Field Schools and Farmer Learning Group Approaches. In addition, FFS graduates have trained 19,106 of their colleagues through farmer to farmer knowledge sharing.

ACHIEVEMENTS AS A RESULT OF THE IITA/STCP INTERVENTION (2006 2010) CONTD. Farmers and farmer groups are producing their own cocoa seedlings through community-based nursery scheme (something hitherto done by state agencies) and planting material brokerage system. The success of the community-based nursery scheme motivated the government to commission STCP with N8.5 million grant to expand the scheme to more cocoaproducing communities

ACHIEVEMENTS AS A RESULT OF THE IITA/STCP INTERVENTION (2006 2010) CONTD. STCP-Nigeria in collaboration with SOCODEVI has helped to reactivate cooperative movement in the cocoa sector. They have demonstrated with resounding results that coops can function effectively as business entities. For example, one of the cooperative unions that evolved from FFS groups, practicing collective trading system generates annual sales of over 88MT

ACHIEVEMENTS AS A RESULT OF THE IITA/STCP INTERVENTION (2006 2010) CONTD. SOCODEVI/STCP-Nigeria developed a Participatory Cooperative Management Training Manual (PACOMAT) now used by State Departments of Cooperatives for training cooperative members. STCP-Nigeria participated actively in national workshops to enlighten cocoa farmers on MRLs and pesticide related issues

POSSIBLE AREAS OF FURTHER ASSISTANCE Mobilizing public and private sector cooperation for systematic cocoa rehabilitation efforts in Nigeria to address the serious issues of aging farms and farmers. Government is looking up to STCP, given its farmer orientation, linkage with the private sector and experience in nurturing Public Private Partnership to assist the Nigerian cocoa sector. STCP has taken some baby steps in this regard. We would like to see the deepening and widening of this initiative.

POSSIBLE AREAS OF FURTHER ASSISTANCE Promotion of use of fertilizer to increase yield per ha; Promotion of the local consumption of cocoa; Youth involvement in cocoa production to solve the problem of aging farmers;

POSSIBLE AREAS OF FURTHER ASSISTANCE Serve as a platform to sensitize cocoa farmers on the current topical issue of certification which is, to a large extent, still unknown to most of our cocoa farmers; Play a key role in the implementation of the ROADMAP for cocoa development (2010-2020) which the Country Manager played a key role in articulating

AREAS NEEDING ATTENTION Staff strength is very low thus putting a lot of pressure on the two senior staff. A larger staff strength would have resulted in higher achievements and greater impact; Developing additional new and more cost effective extension approaches that can allow for greater reach of larger number of the cocoa farming population.

CONCLUSION The IITA/STCP has indeed become a house hold name in the cocoa producing communities in the country. Over the past six years STCP-Nigeria has been the most visible and trusted face in the cocoa sector. But for the STCP-Nigeria, the cocoa sector would have suffered immense setbacks which would have impacted negatively on the players and the Nigeria cocoa economy.

CONCLUSION CONTD. Through the Farmer Field School and the other activities of the Programme, cocoa farmers who have been exposed to the approach have experienced remarkable improvements in their livelihoods. I think the testimony of a cocoa farmer who attended the Farmers Field School in Edo State captures it most succinctly Once I was blind but now I can see he testified.

CONCLUSION CONTD. What more can I say? Since the STCP platform has proved so effective in transforming the lives of our cocoa farmers by increasing their yield and income, thus providing more cocoa for the international market, it should not be allowed to die. Rather in line with its name, it should be SUSTAINED into a Phase 111 and beyond.

Thank you and God bless.