Niger Delta: 65,000 Farmers, SMEs Benefit From PIND’s Agric Initiative  

The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) has said that over 65,000 farmers and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) have enjoyed significant benefits from the agricultural initiative it spearheaded.

The Foundation, in its 2023 annual report recently made public, highlighted the organisation’s significant strides in promoting peacebuilding and economic empowerment in the Niger Delta region.

According to the report, PIND’s initiatives have created over 14,600 new jobs and significantly boosted agricultural productivity, directly benefiting over 65,000 farmers and small businesses. The organisation’s peacebuilding efforts have also trained over 1,200 peace actors and mitigated 108 conflicts, ensuring a more stable and secure region.

PIND’s Market Systems Development project has supported smallholder farmers and businesses through N13.79 billion in public and private sector investments, leading to the creation of over 14,600 jobs in the agro-allied and renewable energy sectors.

The report also highlighted the impact of PIND’s vocational training programmes, which have empowered young people like Obunezi Loveday Tochi, an unemployed graduate who now runs his own welding business, employing three others and contributing to his local economy.

In addition, PIND’s partnership with the private sector has provided renewable energy solutions to 12 off-grid healthcare facilities, ensuring continuous power supply for life-saving medical equipment.

As PIND approaches the end of its third strategic phase, the organisation is poised for a new era of greater impact. As it continues to explore new avenues for impact, including the adoption of impact investment, its vision for the future is clear: to build on its successes and drive further progress in the Niger Delta. A major initiative in this direction is the PIND Impact Investing SPV, which focuses on providing concessional local currency debt to beneficiary companies in the clean energy, agriculture, and youth empowerment sectors.

PIND is raising a $75 million blended finance facility and a $5million technical assistance (TA) sidecar facility to support these efforts.

Executive Director, PIND, Tunji Idowu, expressed that 2023 saw the organisation exceeding expectations and achieving several milestones as it consolidated on its previous work and successes while exploring new opportunities. “Together with our partners, we continued to find creative, people-centred ways to carry out our mission to facilitate peace and equitable economic growth in the Niger Delta.”

Also, the director of Strategy and Business Development at PIND, Aline Varre, said: “The financial sustainability of a grant-funded programme depends on creating and maintaining diversified revenue sources. It is essential to understand that grants are not to be the sole source of funding for nonprofits, as grants are a catalyst for development, not to sustain it. Philanthropic organizations must engage in ongoing business development efforts to sustain their programmes and operations.

“As PIND approaches the end of its third strategic phase, the organization is poised for a new era of greater impact, with a focus on impact investing and diversified revenue sources.”