In a continuous effort to enhancing agricultural productivity and sustainability in Kaduna State, HortiNigeria, a Dutch-funded horticultural program implemented in Kano, Kaduna, Ogun, and Oyo states, is conducting a comprehensive training program for producer organizations in Kubau, Soba, Ikara, Makarfi, Kudan, Sabon Gari and Zaria LGA’s in Kaduna state.
The training is aimed at bolstering financial access and insurance uptake for 55 Producer Organizations (POs) and Agribusiness Cluster (ABC) actors in Kaduna.
Over the course of 7 days (22nd-29th April 2024), producer groups and actors within the program value chain (tomatoes, pepper, onions, cabbage, as well as transporters and aggregators etc.) will be sensitized by Financial Service Providers (FSPs); LAPO Microfinance Bank and The Alternative Bank and insurance companies; Leadway Assurance and Royal Exchange General Insurance Service Company while facilitating seamless linkage to these essential services.\\
Ikechukwu Chiaka, the inclusive finance lead in HortiNigeria, shared that, “the main aim of the training is for the producer organizations and actors to have the necessary knowledge in all that it entails to being bankable. At the end of the training, we hope to achieve increased access to finance”.
This workshop is part of HortiNigeria’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s horticulture sector through capacity building and sustainable development practices of small holder farmers. By empowering POs and ABC actors with access to finance and insurance, we are paving the way for sustainable and inclusive horticulture sub-sector in Nigeria.
For further information on HortiNigeria, visit:
About HortiNigeria
HortiNigeria is a four-year initiative (2021-2025) funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria. It is implemented by a consortium that includes the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer (EWS-KT), Wageningen University and Research (WUR), and KIT Royal Tropical Institute. The program aims to enhance food security in line with both Dutch and Nigerian objectives. Since November 2021, HortiNigeria has launched several projects across Kaduna, Kano, Ogun, and Oyo states, spanning seven value chains within the horticulture sector: cabbage, cucumber, okra, onions, pepper, sweetcorn, tomatoes, and watermelon. These initiatives focus on increasing the productivity and income of 60,000 smallholder farmers (40% women and 50% youth), piloting innovative technologies, facilitating access to finance for SMEs, and