Abuja: Mercy Corps says it has empowered 9,383 ginger farmers in Kaduna State through its Empowering Resilient Ginger Farmers (ERGF) project, aimed at boosting productivity and improving livelihoods. Mr Ismail Rilwan, Programme Manager, Mercy Corps, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the closeout meeting of the project with LAPO Microfinance Bank.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the project, supported by donor TAZO, began in March 2023 and will run until August 2025 across four local government areas of Southern Kaduna. These areas, known as the ‘ginger triangle’, include Kachia, Jaba, Sanga, and Jemaa. Rilwan noted that Nigeria is the world’s second-largest producer of ginger, with Kaduna contributing about 90 percent of national output. Despite this advantage, farmers face recurring crop diseases, high input costs, and limited access to finance. The ERGF project was initiated to address these gaps, increase yields, and promote financial stability.
The project is designed to support smallholder farmers, especially women, to overcome long-standing challenges in ginger cultivation. The programme seeks to empower at least 51 percent female farmers by raising productivity and income, while building resilience to agricultural and economic shocks. The two main objectives are to boost production through improved seed systems and sustainable practices, and to enhance financial inclusion through training and access to credit facilities.
Rilwan identified weak seed systems, labor-intensive processes, recurring diseases, and poor access to finance as major constraints confronting ginger farmers. Mercy Corps is collaborating with several partners, including the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna Agricultural Development Agency, and Kaduna State University. Other partners include Octavio Development Company, Co-Funds, LAPO Microfinance Bank, Bank of Agriculture, Salama Radio, Rockside FM, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, and Incorporated International Development.
Yields have already improved from the average 5-12 tons per hectare to approach the 38 tons per hectare potential under optimal conditions. Farmers have gained better access to loans, and women are increasingly participating in agribusiness and decision-making within their communities. Reflecting on the 2023 ginger disease outbreak, which caused an estimated N10 billion loss, Rilwan emphasized the need to strengthen extension services and establish an early warning system to detect and contain such outbreaks before they spread.
Mr John Ogbebor, Agriculture Business Manager, LAPO Microfinance Bank, noted that lack of access to credit remains a major barrier for Nigerian farmers. Many farmers face bottlenecks such as tedious processes, high interest rates, and long delays. His bank, in partnership with Mercy Corps, has disbursed N48 million to 305 farmers in Kaduna State, including 170 women. The loans covered farm inputs, labor, and other value chain expenses, with flexible repayment terms tied to the ginger harvest cycle.
Ogbebor stressed that sustainability and inclusion are key to achieving long-term impact. Inclusion involves bringing more people into the value chain and the financing sector, including women and cooperatives, to build resilience and shared prosperity.
NAN reports that Mercy Corps operates in more than 20 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Portland, United States. In Nigeria, its thematic areas include Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); Food Security and Livelihoods; Economic Opportunity; and Peace and Good Governance. A highlight of the meeting was a panel discussion on Financial Inclusion and Resilience: Driving Shared Prosperity in Nigeria.