Second National Fadama Development Project

closed

The objective of the Second National Fadama Development Project is to sustainably increase the incomes of fadama users -- those who depend directly or indirectly on fadama resources, i.e., farmers, pastoralists, fishers, hunters, gatherers, and service providers -- by empowering communities to take charge of their own development agenda, and by reducing conflict between fadama users. Fadamas -- the hausa name for irrigable land -- are flood plains and low-lying areas underlined by shallow aquifers, found along Nigeria's river systems. The capacity building component will support measures to build capacity of Fadama community associations (FCAs), and their constituent Economic Interest Groups (EIGs) - Fadama User Groups (FUGs), so as to be able, and equipped to access Project advisory services and financing. Financing will be directed, and comprise, at minimum, an agreed list of priority public infrastructure subprojects that are technically, and economically feasible, and environmentally sustainable. The rural infrastructure investment component, will finance the construction, or rehabilitation of eligible small-scale infrastructure subprojects specified as priorities. Pilot productive asset acquisition support will enhance the improvements in fadama users' productivity, and income, by facilitating the acquisition of productive assets by individuals, or fadama user groups. This objective would be achieved by supporting the clients' enterprise management skills, their capacity to mobilize own funds, and, by providing matching grants for income-generating activities to fadama user groups. The fourth component supports advisory services that will enable fadama users to adopt output-enhancing techniques, and more profitable marketing practices in their fadama enterprises. The Project will finance: (a) advisory services that will accompany new investment activities in fadama areas on request by the user groups; and, (b) advisory services that will support ongoing activities by fadama users. The last component consists of three subcomponents: project management, support to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD, and, monitoring and evaluation activities.