Strengthening Small Scale Agricultural Technology Innovation Ecosystems for Cascaded-Commercialization in Nigeria
Linking technology centres (Research Institutes, Universities) to local industry (fabricators-maker spaces, processors-clusters) by promoting improved ecosystem coordination, information sharing, knowledge exchange and business development partnerships that foster co-creation for cascaded-commercialisation.
Nigeria’s technology centres have worked more in isolation. The governance structure of the agricultural mechanisation value chain is poorly coordinated, and more focused on equipment design than outreach. The major constraint on improving the small scale agricultural mechanisation value chain is lack of collaboration partnerships.
The Project
We are providing strategic technical support and capacity building necessary to key national and sub-national institutions (technology centres and universities) and local industry (fabricator maker spaces, processor clusters) in the agricultural mechanisation value chain to improve coordination, information sharing, knowledge exchange and collaboration. This project works with local fabricator maker spaces and processors clusters with evidence based technologies and innovation available in technology centres and support them to collaboratively work together and perfect a model that supports co-creation and business development partnerships in ways that research and innovation ecosystems will be interlinked, and strengthened for more effective synergies leading to cascaded commercialisation.
What the project has achieved so far:
- Launched a virtual platform for co-creation, learning and access to new markets for increased business development partnerships amongst stakeholders.
- Facilitated the establishment of a National coalition network of Stakeholders in Agricultural Mechanization (CONESAM). This has enabled different associations to work together under one coordination point.
- Secured the agreement of the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the National Center for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM) to convene the 1st National Agricultural Mechanization Summit in Nigeria.
- Facilitated the convening of the fist cross-government steering committee on Small Scale Agricultural Mechanization to support RISA-KECC implementation with coordination and thought leadership.
- Secured in-kind contributions from our government stakeholders (research institute) in support of the implementation of RISA-KECC. This is a substantial VFM win for the project.
- Supporting The National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM) to step-up its national coordination role through; development of a functional website and interactive National Agricultural Mechanisation Coordination Portal.
- Facilitating Linkages with fabricator-maker spaces and processor-clusters, at least the champions, to facilities of technology centres at a low cost.
- Providing Technical support and capacity building on national and international standards of production and good manufacturing practice.
- Facilitating linkages between private sector fabricators, users and commercial financing structures.
- Providing technical support to develop and promote mechanisms for improving outreach between the technology centres and end users.
