Use of scientific evidence for greater partnerships and better policies

Surveys on agricultural technology adoption in Nigeria carried out in 2019-2020 revealed gains made in crop yields, gross margins and ROI, as well as challenges in accessing improved seeds. One of the suggestions made on the basis of these results was that ICRISAT develop appropriate policy briefs for use by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD Nigeria) and agricultural sector partners for value chains and markets of millets, sorghum and groundnut. The detailed results of the surveys were discussed recently with government officials and NARS partners in Nigeria in two sessions designed to provide them with updated evidence to be considered while formulating agricultural policies.

Surveys on adoption of varietal and non-varietal technologies and their impacts and value chain analyses of the ICRISAT mandate crops in Nigeria have been ongoing in selected states of Northern Nigeria since 2019. In addition to testing survey tools for the collection of digitized gender-disaggregated data within the framework of the implementation of the HOPE 2/AVISA projects, outcomes of these surveys constitute data-driven sources for breeding, seed systems and policy formulation at both State and Federal levels in Nigeria.