AFC reinforces its presence in Nigeria

With the Nigerian Competitiveness Project (NiCOP) – an EU co-financed action that is part of a large GIZ program - the 6th AFC/GOPA-implemented project in Nigeria has been launched.

Despite turbulent times and security restrictions in Nigeria caused by general and state elections, our Team of two international and five national long-term experts started their duty in Abuja, Kaduna and Abeokuta offices in February 2019.

The objective of the project is to strengthen the competitiveness of Nigeria and enhance the country's integration into the regional and international trading system. To this end, the project engages in the development of the value chains Leather and Textile, Tomato/Chili (Horticulture), and Ginger. While interventions in the agricultural value chains will mainly be at the production and processing level, leather and textile value chains will be targeted at the very end focusing on the production and marketing of finished goods (e.g. shoes, accessories, garment).

The project will intervene at the micro level supporting entrepreneurs along the four value chains through capacity development and the facilitation of innovations; at the meso level strengthening business support organizations (BSO) in their capabilities for service provision to value chain-specific entrepreneurs; and to a lesser extent at the macro level facilitating an enabling environment and access to finance for entrepreneurship development.

The project has a duration of 36 months, focusing on Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Ogun, Oyo, Lagos and Abia states, and will be closely aligned with the many other GIZ projects being implemented in Nigeria.

For further details please contact Sophia Baumert (sophia.baumert [at] afci.de).