Mercy Corps in partnership with LAPO Microfinance Bank and TAZO, have empowered over 9,383 ginger farmers with across four local government areas in Southern Kaduna under the Empowering Resilient Ginger Farmers, ERGF, Project to boost production. This is in a bid to boost non-oil exports and tackle agribusiness challenges, The farmers were trained in financial inclusion, sustainable agronomic practices, financial literacy, and gender-sensitive literacy programmes, basically, to improve access to savings and credit facilities. The farmers also received farm implements and accessed finance as part of the initiative. The initiative had partners who include Co-Farms Institute for Agricultural Research, Kaduna Agricultural Development Agency, Salama Radio, Rockside FM, Kaduna State University, LAPO Microfinance Bank, Bank of Agriculture, the UN Export Promotion Council, and others.
Speaking at the event, the Programme Manager, ERGF, Project, Ismail Rilwan, explained that the initiative targeted vulnerable communities across the four LGAs—Jaba, Jema’a, Kachia, and Sanga Local Government Areas.
Rilwan said “we are a non-governmental organization that began operations in Nigeria in 2015. We work across various thematic areas including shelter, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH, food security, livelihood, economic opportunity, peace, and good governance. ”The project disbursed ₦48 million to affected farmers to help them recover and invest in new inputs. He said that the current project implemented in Kaduna State since 2023 focuses on optimizing the ginger value chain through the ERGF initiative. He noted that Nigeria ranks second globally in ginger production, with Kaduna State accounting for about 90 per cent of the country’s output. “Kaduna State, being the ginger hub, produces approximately 90 per cent of the ginger consumed and exported.
The price per bag has surged from ₦60,000 to as high as ₦800,000, making ginger almost as valuable as gold”, he said.
According to him, the current average yield for ginger is between five and 12 tonnes per hectare, the project aims to help farmers achieve up to 38 tonnes per hectare under optimal conditions. He also said the Project addresses major challenges hindering productivity, including seed system insecurity and the ginger disease outbreak of 2023. “Our goal is to support at least 51 per cent of female ginger farmers by increasing their productivity, income, and long-term financial stability. We are also promoting sustainable agricultural practices and enhancing the resilience of local farmers”, he said. He also explained in response to the 2023 ginger disease outbreak, the Project collaborated with research institutes to provide clean ginger seed and technical training for ginger farmers. “We targeted 60 per cent women and 40 per cent men in our designated LGAs.
Many women lacked access to modern farming knowledge, which made them vulnerable during the outbreak. We are optimistic that trained farmers will replicate their knowledge at the community level, thereby boosting ginger seed systems locally,” he said. Many live in remote communities that financial institutions struggle to reach. We have nearly 500 branches, including in rural areas, but identifying and onboarding these farmers remains difficult due to issues like BVN registration and ID verification”, he said.
He also emphasized the importance of collaboration between stakeholders, including the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, to improve identity systems and ensure financial inclusion for rural farmers.“If these challenges are addressed holistically, we can expect significant improvements in the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Farming must now be seen as agribusiness, not just a traditional occupation passed down through generations,” he concluded. On his part, the Agribusiness Manager at LAPO Microfinance Bank, John Ogbebor, emphasized the organization’s role in improving access to capital, inputs, renewable resources, and logistics. “We are committed to the social and economic empowerment of low-income households by providing access to responsive financial services. LAPO Microfinance Bank has been empowering Nigerians through financial inclusion for over 30 years, offering services such as savings, digital banking, loans, and PoS”, Ogbebor added. He noted that smallholder farmers face several challenges, including geographic isolation and lack of formal identification, which hinders their access to financial services.
