Dr. Adiya Ode, Team Leader of Propcom+, announced at a media roundtable in Abuja that Propcom+, an agricultural climate change program, aims to transform Nigeria’s rural economy by adopting new agricultural approaches in response to climate change. The program’s key objective is to enhance the resilience of agricultural practices, ensuring that livelihoods can adapt to changing climate conditions.
Dr. Ode emphasized that Propcom+ addresses various agricultural challenges, including market and policy issues, as well as skill deficiencies. She stated, “We aim to tackle the problematic areas in agriculture, whether market-based, policy-based, or skill-related.”
A major focus of Propcom+ is on climate change, coupled with the high rates of malnutrition among children under five and adults. Dr. Ode also highlighted the issue of conflicts in Nigeria, attributing them to disputes over natural resource management.
Dr. Ode stressed the importance of empowering women and overcoming systemic barriers that hinder their economic participation. “Fifty percent of our beneficiaries will be women,” she asserted.
Running from 2023 to 2030 with a £95 million budget, Propcom+ aims to support 4.1 million SMEs and improve the incomes of 3.79 million smallholders. By 2030, the program expects to enhance the incomes of four million Nigerians, with at least two million being women.
The program plans to attract at least £204 million in private investment in Nigeria. Its mandate focuses on the northeastern states of Kano, Kaduna, and Jigawa, operating under a neutral accountability framework with the government.
Dr. Ode mentioned that Propcom+ would also work in other states like Gombe, Bauchi, Adamawa, and Plateau, focusing on private sector engagement due to the absence of similar frameworks. In the southern states, such as Edo, Ekiti, Cross River, and Enugu, efforts will center on sustainable land use and forestry management.
Propcom+ adopts a market systems development approach, building incentives within the market to benefit the poor, who participate as producers, consumers, service providers, and suppliers. The program collaborates with market actors and facilitators rather than directly providing resources to farmers. It aims to ensure that farmers can sell their produce at fair prices, access finance, and obtain necessary inputs like fertilizers.
Propcom+ represents UKAid’s flagship rural and agricultural market development program, targeting economic growth in Nigeria’s conflict- and climate-affected regions. By 2030, Propcom+ aspires to significantly improve the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians, particularly women, through resilience and sustainable market development.
