Empowering IDPs: IITA donates 28 tons of seeds to boost employment and self-reliance

11 September 2024

The Government of Japan and IITA launched a new project to support self-reliance and provide employment opportunities for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Northeast Nigeria. This is in response to the insecurity situation in the region, where approximately 1.9 million people have reportedly been displaced. These IDPs continue to rely on emergency humanitarian aid to survive, and for over a decade, they have not been able to establish self-sustaining livelihoods.

The recent economic challenges have worsened the already precarious living conditions in their camps. These difficulties not only affect their lives but also have repercussions on agriculture. The rise in living expenses has increased labor and agricultural input costs. Consequently, obtaining the necessary manpower and agricultural resources has become difficult, with a negative impact on agriculture, which plays a crucial role in Nigeria’s economy, significantly increasing the risk of a food crisis.

IITA is delivering agricultural technologies developed from years of research to increase food production and income in Africa. “We have over 50 years of experience working in agriculture, developing improved varieties, improving seed production systems, and developing the capacity of small-scale farmers. We believe all of these components can be used to provide emergency assistance to IDPs,” project leader Haruki Ishikawa said.

A straightforward response to the challenges faced by the displaced farmers is a project like this that will improve their livelihoods. The project aims to support employment opportunities for IDPs, providing agricultural assistance to increase food production and household nutrition. The project has established a labor dispatch union to send IDPs as temporary workers to farmers facing labor shortages. This activity will provide income sources to IDPs through agricultural work and support their meals during dispatch.

Additionally, the project provides seeds and fertilizers for IDPs who borrow farmland to cultivate for themselves and assists struggling farmers by providing free temporary labor and agricultural inputs—improved seed varieties and fertilizers, enhancing crop productivity.

“One of the major constraints farmers face is the lack of improved varieties’ seeds. The provision of quality seeds to farmers can improve yields significantly, and it is a key component of IDPs who want to go back to the farm, too,” said IITA-Kano System Agronomist Alpha Kamara. In this project, IITA donates certified maize, cowpea, and yam seeds to promote IDPs who were previously farmers. These IDPs have borrowed the farmland around Abuja and re-started farming.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Kazuyoshi Matsunaga, said: “I am delighted that Japan’s support for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria, in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), focuses on sustainable solutions rather than merely providing humanitarian aid. This project demonstrates the importance of empowering individuals to improve their lives by promoting self-reliance and addressing food shortages.

As a research institute, IITA’s commitment to solving social issues is commendable, and this initiative serves as a great example of the saying: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime,” he added.

The IDP-support project using agriculture could contribute to employment and increased agricultural production. The project will also encourage IDPs to become self-reliant and return to agriculture, helping to rebuild the country’s agricultural sector.

Contributed by Ishikawa Haruki