Sahel provides policy consulting services to governments, and development organizations engaged in the agriculture sector.
Key assignments we have undertaken in this area include:
Project 1: Sahel participated in the mapping of the key stakeholders in the Nigerian agricultural landscape with a focus on the capacity needs required to achieve a national Government’s Agricultural strategic plan.
Project 2: Sahel facilitated a technical workshop as part of the re-inauguration of the Inter-ministerial Agriculture/Nutrition Working Group (IANWG) charged with the implementation of Nigeria’s Food Security and Nutrition 10-year strategy. The engagement included facilitating the definition of the governance and operating structure of the IANWG; supporting the group in articulating its objectives and developing an actionable workplan to deliver on the Strategy’s priority areas; and defining mechanisms for on-going collaboration and information sharing.
Project 1: Sahel participated in a project mapping of key stakeholders (private, public, and non-profit organizations) engaged in agriculture in Ghana. The output fed into the design of the development agency’s program on food security.
Project 2: Sahel conducted a policy study on the intermediate technology landscape in Nigeria’s agriculture sector under the State Partnership for Agriculture program (SPA). The study assessed all technologies used across the agriculture value chain from production to processing in three Nigerian states; Benue, Kaduna and Kogi states. The study involved benchmarking technological developments and local fabrication efforts in Nigeria against developed agro-allied industries in Africa and Asia which informed recommendations for implementation by the government and served as an input towards the design and formulation of a national mechanization policy for Nigeria.
Project 3: Sahel led a donor-funded Early Generation Seed (EGS) systems study in Nigeria in partnership with a US-based consulting firm. Sahel conducted an end-to-end analysis of seed systems of four key crops including maize, soybean, rice and yam in Nigeria to identify constraints limiting the production of EGS in an economically viable and sustainable manner. The analysis covered the dominant seed systems, current EGS systems and potential demand and cost of EGS production in Nigeria. Sahel provided recommendations on how to create incentives for greater government and private investments in the seed sector.
Project 4: A Sahel partner served on the Africa LEAD team, focused on assessing the key organizational functions and capabilities of ECOWAS and related institutions including the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (“EBID”) in Togo and the proposed ECOWAS Fund for Agriculture and Food. The team provided recommendations for ways to strengthen organizational performance with a view to achieving the objectives of a food security programme funded by an international development organization.
Sahel participated in a “Technical and Financial Feasibility Study of the ECOWAS Agricultural Policy Financing Facility (ECOWAP).” The research focused on the funding needs of ECOWAP, potential sources of funding and best practices for fund creation and management in Senegal.
A Sahel partner served as the International Regional Trade Expert, responsible for the development of an implementation plan for the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP – developed by the AU and NEPAD) Pillar 2, Strategic Area A, which was focused on raising the competitiveness of African agriculture and capitalizing on opportunities in the domestic, regional and international markets. The partner developed strategic plans for a West African Commodity Exchange, and a trade negotiations training center for the region.