Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) Project

Background Narrative

TRIMING aims to strengthen the quality of and access to productivity-enhancing and market access services for 130,000 farmers within and near the following four rehabilitated irrigation schemes in Northern Nigeria: Bakolori Irrigation Scheme in Zamfara state, Middle Rima Irrigation Scheme in Sokoto state, Kano River Irrigation Scheme, and Hadejia Valley Irrigation Scheme in Jigawa state. The project will provide technical assistance to establish a Farmers’ Management Center (FMC) at each irrigation scheme and to initiate strong forward and backward linkages along the value chains, using the productive alliance model.

Project Objectives

The overall objective of TRIMING is to improve the agricultural service delivery and productivity of the four selected irrigation schemes and to enhance farmers’ linkages to markets. TRIMING will accomplish this through the following objectives:

Develop a value chain development strategy for improving the productivity of smallholder crops and livestock and fish farmers in targeted irrigation schemes and facilitating their linkages to input, output, and service markets.
Undertake value chain development activities for structuring business partnerships between smallholder farmers, offtakes, input suppliers, mechanization service providers, and financial institutions for a period of up to two years, before established FMSDCs can start playing this role.
Establish and develop the capacity of FMSDCs in each targeted irrigation scheme to accomplish the following: sustainably provide technical services to farmer organizations and other value chain players in the areas of accounting and financial management; establish outgrower schemes and other forms of market linkages; facilitate access to mechanization, extension, and financial services; and facilitate access to input supply.
Support the Project Management Unit (PMU) in design and implementation of a matching grant mechanism planned under the project for funding critical activities along the value chains.
Provide training and capacity building of various stakeholders involved in the value chains, including extension service providers, scheme oversight committees, and any other key players.

Project Activities and Approaches

Work with FMCs to reform them as one-stop shops for needed input and output services
Provide farmers with technical and management training
Establish linkages between farmers, FMSDCs, and commercial business partners.

Anticipated Project Results

Developed a value chain development strategy
Carried out a feasibility study for the FMCs
Established four FMCs (one at each irrigation scheme)
Built the capacity of farmer groups that are the FMC shareholders in the areas of governance, enhanced technologies and practices, improved harvest and post-harvest management, and marketing
Strengthened market linkages in rice and tomato value chains through offtake agreements
Developed a matching grant mechanism
Will develop five year business plans for the FMCs
Will train and build capacity of the FMC management

Funder: Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Water Resources/World Bank