Aug 20, 2021
Starting in 2010, The Climate Investment Funds’ (CIF) Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR) selected Niger to be among its first set of pilot countries in an effort to support Niger to address the imbalance between increasing food demand and low agricultural yields due to climate change.
During the early 2000s in Niger, rising temperatures and an increase in multi-year droughts wreaked havoc on its agriculture system. With agriculture being the primary source of income, food, and employment nationwide, Niger needed a solution to its reliance on an increasingly lackluster and short rainy season.
In 2012, the CIF’s PPCR endorsed Niger’s Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCR), which was developed by the Nigerien government in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). One of the climate resilient projects under this SPCR was the Niger Irrigation Program (NIP). It focused on helping farmers in areas near the city of Niamey tap into the underused water located in underground aquifers to lessen their dependence on rain-fed farming methods. It centered on a new business model that provided small-scale drip irrigation technology to farmers through private sector and concessional financing.
There were several challenges to implement this project such as farmers, the majority being women, lacked the relevant technical capacity and support to install drip irrigation equipment to enable them to maximize the use of rainwater. Most farmers were also unable to access concessional funding to purchase irrigation equipment. Additional risks included the minimal involvement of the private sector in the agricultural sector, underdeveloped markets and value chains, and low storage and processing capacity in Niger.
However, through the concessional financing provided by CIF, IFC, in collaboration with the private sector, the NIP identified efficient and long-term solutions to extend the farming season, reduce poverty, and demonstrate private sector viability in promoting climate-resilient agriculture.
The NIP was approved with a two-phase approach that 1) demonstrated commercial viability of improved drip irrigation systems by the Nigerien private sector for both farmers and investors and 2) scaled-up program impact and scope through IFC’s commercial finance together with PPCR’s concessional finance.
As the program moved forward, it addressed three main delivery obstacles along the way:
- Dealing with the negative misconception about drip irrigation - Due to a lack of information and previous negative experiences that had no training and capacity building experience, many Nigerien farmers were wary of taking on this type of technology again. NIP dealt with this problem by increasing community outreach, providing public demonstrations, and providing information sessions.
- Improving “last-mile support” - The limited field-based, day-to-day practical support that was meant to help enhance technical capacity and aid in the irrigation technology maintenance was sorely lacking. The program handled this challenge by providing advisory and extension services at the local level in the form of Community Field Assistants (CFAs) who helped install, maintain, and remove the irrigation equipment, provided customer service and facilitated community engagement.
- Tackling farmers’ financial constraints - Local banks thought financing for drip irrigation was too risky because of low repayment rates and climate-related risks like droughts, so NIP provided microcredit to farmers.
Overall, the NIP project proved that private sector participation in the Nigerien agricultural sector was profitable and beneficial while also helping to improve climate resilience of farmers. With a loan of just USD 1.5M, the program established a network of Nigerien companies with the capability to deliver agricultural and commercial solutions. In addition, the NIP continues to record impressive results on the ground. At the project completion, over 900 farmers were trained of which 537 were women. Farmers had up to 82% of yield increase which resulted in revenue increase of 31-72%. Farmers are now successfully growing rainy season crops during the dry season as they increasingly access irrigation equipment and technical capacity support through micro-credit scheme.
The pilot activities continue to spark interest not only from farmers but also the government to expand the use of technologies and solutions that can support Niger’s goal to build a more climate resilient economy.
To learn more about this project and read the entire case study in English and French, please click on the links below:
