The importance of supporting the food security and resilience of smallholder farmers cannot be underestimated. It is with this in mind that the EU-funded PROSELL project was launched in six local councils in Taraba, Nigeria. This project, which lasted six years from July 2018 to January 2024, is the result of a collaboration between Oxfam and the Development Exchange Center (DEC).
Temitayo Omole, Head of the EU Human Development Program in Nigeria and ECOWAS, highlighted at the PROSELL closing meeting and dissemination of information and knowledge exchange: “The objective of the project is to strengthen the resilience of 40,000 small farmers, fishermen and herders, particularly women, young people and vulnerable households.
The specific objectives are to increase the income of smallholder farmers by improving their agricultural productivity, market access and job creation along the crop, fish and livestock value chains. It also aims to strengthen the adaptive capacities and resilience of small-scale agricultural households in the face of climate change, among others.
The decision to target Taraba for this project was made based on an EU analysis of poverty and inequality. “We have analyzes of poverty and inequality in most countries and we found that some regions in Nigeria were particularly affected by poverty, inequality and vulnerability. So we identified Taraba as one of these regions ” Omole explained.
He urged the State Government to expand the project to other local councils, to maximize the benefits for smallholder farmers in the area.
Oxfam Country Director in Nigeria, Tijani Hamza, highlighted Oxfam and DEC’s commitment to reducing poverty, improving food and nutrition security and tackling gender inequality and other challenges in rural areas. He also highlighted the positive results achieved through the PROSELL project, such as the increase in household livelihood assets by 83.2% and increased women’s access to resources and control of assets.
This closing meeting was an opportunity for the partners to review the implementation of the project, to evaluate the achievements in relation to the objectives set and to plan a sustainable development plan to ensure the sustainability of the changes initiated by the PROSELL. Marina Dixhoorn, Country Relations Manager at Oxfam Novib, highlighted the importance of celebrating the project’s achievements and planning for a resilient and promising future.
In conclusion, the PROSELL project played an essential role in the transformation of rural communities in Taraba. Through a holistic approach and close collaboration between Oxfam, DEC and the EU, it has significantly contributed to improving the livelihoods of more than 40,000 households dependent on agriculture and natural resources.