Consultant for Feasibility Assessment - Commercially driven agricultural extension provision: Industry analysis and intervention opportunities at Propcom Mai-karfi

Description

• Feasibility assessment - Commercially driven agricultural extension provision: Industry analysis and intervention opportunities

Background

• Propcom Mai-Karfi is a DFID programme aimed at increasing incomes for the poor in northern Nigeria through enhanced employment opportunities and improved productivity in selected agricultural market systems in northern Nigeria. Propcom Mai-karfi recently was awarded a 3 years extension (2018-2021) with particular focus on the North East (NE) States and 3 North West states- Kaduna, Kano and Jigawa states. The aim is to influence INGOs in the NE states to shift from humanitarian to development and to implement market recovery and systems development programmes across the targeted states.
• Over the years and from our work in northern Nigeria, we have discovered information services to be a primary need in northern Nigeria and can make valuable contributions to market systems on their own.. Faced with logistical and financial challenges, agricultural extension system in most part of the country has become weak or non-existent. This is not unexpected given that extension service is traditionally funded by government whose funds have competing priorities. Although the gnawing access gap is an opportunity for other players to provide a fee-paying service to rural farmers, this has not happened perhaps due to the fact that agri extension is perceived to be a ‘free service’.
• So far, PM’s attempts at addressing agri-extension has been intervention-based, working with individual private sector partners to address specific information needs that will unlock farmer productivity within the partner’s sphere of influence. For instance, in the agricultural inputs space, PM has cost-shared the partners investments in setting up demo plots, using field agents for interpersonal communication with farmers and the distribution of flyers. In other cases like poultry and livestock, radio programmes and community outreaches have been deployed through veterinary partners, all of these in an attempt to pass on new technology, develop farmer capacity, provide business advisory and facilitate empowerment. Whilst this has been largely successful, it has been limited in scale and failed to address the underlying missing market capacity - absence of agricultural extension service providers.
• No doubt, the agricultural extension market system is crucial to sustainably building the necessary capacity amongst farmers for the expected growth and development in agricultural sector in Nigeria. PM is yet to survey the market to determine availability of commercially-driven extension service organisations, challenges to growing the sector, farmers willingness to pay for extension services or engagement in any pilot directed at addressing the core constraints to extension services. In view of this, there is need to undertake an assessment to identify the challenges and opportunities for creating innovative solutions to address agricultural service provision in the North. Innovative solutions that will leverage ICT to reach more farmers in hard-to-reach locations such as in the NE. Ultimately, Propcom Mai-karfi envisions a future where smallholder farmers understand the value of Good Agronomic Practices (GAP) and are willing and pay for extension services.

Duration of Assignment:

• The assignment is to be completed in four weeks from date of commissioning.

Purpose

• PM is seeking the services of consultant(s) who will engage to conduct an analysis of the extension service delivery space/industry in northern Nigeria, with emphasis to the following states: Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi and Taraba.

Activities
The activities are divided into 3 components with associated outputs:

Component 1 - Analysis of the onsite agricultural extension service market:

• 1. Mapping of existing extension service organisations in the region, private and public-run, including academic institutions:
  • o outlining active and inactive organisations/states
  • o Extension services density across selected states – extension workers to farmers ratio and reasons for same.
• Qualitative survey to identify active and non-active extension workers:
  • a. Scope of work
  • b. Reported business model and profits
  • c. key drivers of success and challenges
• Outline viable onsite agricultural extension models:

Output:

• Database/inventory with GPS location of ‘viable’ and dormant agricultural extension agents and their organisations.

Component 2 - Willingness to pay study:

• Farmers willingness to pay for agricultural information; what services are they willing to pay for, types of information and delivery channel
• Agricultural input suppliers’ willingness to pay and use the services of extension workers to drive product knowledge
• Identify those companies (input suppliers) willing to pay to leverage extension service providers’ network.
• Identify off-takers willing to pay for market information to help with aggregation.

Output:

• List of agri-inputs organisations and off-takers willing to pay and use the services of extension agents.

Component 3: offsite agricultural extension market (E-extension):

• Identify existing platforms and providers of E-extension services in Nigeria
• Meet with service providers to understand and document their business model, reach and comparative costs
• Recommend affordable e-extension platforms to pilot information dissemination to farmers, with feedback mechanism– affordable to Smallholders and economically sustainable as a business.

Outputs:

• Viability report: Outline the viability of disseminating GAP information via different electronic channels to farmers.
• Contact list of E-extension service providers - scope of crops and livestock and geographic coverage if applicable.

Deliverable
The expected deliverables are as follow:

• Research plan, with indicators and method of assessment of agriculture extension service providers', smallholder farmers’ and private sectors’ willingness to pay and cost analysis of e-extension services
• A detailed report outlining the following:
  • The evolution of extension services and the key issues in northern Nigeria
  • Opportunities for onsite and offsite extension service provision
  • List of viable extension service providers/organisations (private or public, and electronic)
  • Recommendations on commercially viable options for targeted beneficiaries
  • Annexes to include source/reference documents
• Presentation of findings to PM and stakeholders.

Methodology
The general approach and the main steps to be followed to conduct the assignment is:

• Desk review of the agricultural extension programs in northern Nigeria
• Quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis
• Submission of a report within stated timeframe.

Qualification and Required Competency

• Advanced University Degree in Economics, Development Policy, Agriculture, or related fields
• Good knowledge of the agricultural sector and extension services related issues in northern Nigeria and West Africa
• Experience in agricultural market research
• Knowledge and understanding of regulatory and government policy around agricultural extension in Nigeria.
• Project management experience
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Fluency in Hausa is an added advantage.