The Problem
According to the World Bank, Nigeria is estimated to have over a 200million people, with about 75 percent employed in Agriculture. This makes the sector a critical sector to the nation’s economy. In addition, Nigeria is home to about 121 million smallholder farmers actively engaged in crop production. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, 2019 crop production was the most significant driver of the agricultural sector, accounting for 91.6 percent of the sector's contribution to the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) in the third quarter of 2019. However, crop production remains a time-based occupation, as an untimely application of inputs leads to poor productivity. Our market formative research in 2020 showed that about 95% of Nigerian crop farmers reported having issues securing primary inputs for their production in the last season. For example, about 90% and 74% had problems securing fertilizers and herbicides, respectively. These issues include untimely access, fake or poor quality, and high cost due to middlemen hijacking, constraining farmers' access to affordable, timely, quality farm inputs.
