Selection Nigeria
Hemam Synergy ltd.
Hemam Synergy is an innovative agribusiness company committed to empowering rural smallholder farmers through agro inputs provision, training on good agronomic practices and market access, as well as ensuring improved yields, income, and socio-economic wellbeing for smallholder farmers. Over the past 5 years, their scalable model has supported 6,600 farmers, off-taken and traded 100,000 tons of grains, and created 752 sustainable tech-enabled jobs as field extension officers.
The Problem
Millions of Nigerian families are facing challenges of food insecurity, with approximately 25 million Nigerians at risk of acute hunger in 2023 according to the Word Food Programme. This food insecurity challenge persists as rural smallholder farmers, accounting for 90% of the country’s food production, continue to face the challenge of low yields per hectare. This outcome results from poor agronomy practices, lack of access to good quality and affordable farm inputs, and weak adaptation and resilience to changing climate.
At the same time, rural Nigerian youth face a challenge of unemployment and underemployment. Youth in rural communities often encounter a lack of formal job opportunities that offer stability, fair wages, and avenues for growth. This challenge is further exacerbated for young women due to gender biases and traditional norms that restrict their access to economic opportunities. This has led to a rapid migration of youth from their rural communities to urban areas in search of better opportunities. One of the regions where this trend is very visible is Ibaji, where the dominant occupation is rice farming. Many youths in Ibaji lack the necessary skills and training to secure meaningful employment in emerging sectors. This skills gap hinders their ability to go after new job opportunities and contribute to the local economy.
Additionally, Ibaji communities often have entrenched social and cultural norms that limit the participation and advancement of especially young women. Traditional gender roles, societal expectations, and discriminatory practices restrict their ability to pursue education, enter the workforce, and engage in decision-making processes. These barriers not only hinder their personal growth but also impede the overall potential development of the communities.
The Solution
To address these issues, this project will capitalise on the Nigerian government’s push for local rice processing, focusing specifically on the rice value chain in Ibaji. It will focus on climate resilience and adaptation and empower rural smallholder farmers to mitigate the effects of climate change and to build their perseverance and abilities to adapt.
The project also aims to provide meaningful employment opportunities in agriculture and equip rural youths with the necessary skills. More specifically, the project aims to increase the rice paddy yield per hectare of an additional 13,000 rural rice farmers in Ibaji. To achieve this, over 1,480 young extension service providers will be recruited to engage, onboard, and train these farmers on good agronomic practices, climate resilience and adaptation, and to manage these farmers through tech-enabled field extension jobs. In addition, the project will provide timely inputs to 13,000 young smallholder farmers. Through this project, Hemam Synergy will transform informal farming jobs into sustainable, formal, and decent employment options. By bringing these jobs directly to the communities, the project will provide employment opportunities near rural youth without them having to migrate to urban areas.
This will also create opportunities for young women to work while remaining connected to their families and support systems. To ensure the safety and well-being of young women employees, inclusive and anti-discrimination measures will also be implemented, and community leaders will be engaged to enhance support.
Additionality
The CFYE grant will enable the project to reach a larger number of young people and make a greater impact on the lives of smallholder farmers in Ibaji. Without this support, the project would face limitations in scaling and job creation. The financial resources provided by CFYE will allow for the design of a more robust strategy and the expedited implementation of activities, ensuring that more rural youths in Ibaji can be empowered through formal and decent employment opportunities.
