‘Market systems approach engendered growth in Niger Delta rural communities’

Market systems development approach enabled by Market Development in Niger Delta (MADE) helped to improve the income and livelihoods of smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs in the Niger Delta region.

Advocacy, External and Public Sector Engagement Manager of MADE, Fidelis Ekom, made the assertion, saying the development was made possible by the United Kingdom (UKaid) funded Programme.

He said it used the Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) approach aimed at generating sustainable inclusive economic growth in the non-oil sector, adding that MADE would be holding a summit to end the project.

The event with the theme, “MADE II: Our Story of Change” will provide feedback to partners and stakeholders on its achievements over a six-year period, challenges and opportunities, lessons learned, adaptations made along the way, exit strategy and sustainability plans.

The one-day event scheduled for tomorrow will allow government officials, policymakers, administrators, donors, implementing partners, market actors and business leaders to interact and share experience.

“The event will focus on learning from the programme, explore the drivers of its achievements and reveal measures put in place as part of its exit plans to ensure sustainability as the programme finally closes out in February 2020.

“This will be a huge learning opportunity on design and implementation of market systems development programmes in conflict-prone regions,” Ekom said.

He added that MADE also motivated market actors to change their behaviour in a sustainable way and facilitated access to new knowledge and information services, as well as improved technologies that facilitated efficient and productive delivery of services to small, medium-scale farmers and entrepreneurs.

The programme was initiated in 2013 to improve market access for poor producers, increase economic activity and trade, as well as raise incomes of 150,000 men and women, 50 per cent of who are women in the nine states of the Niger Delta.

Ekom explained that MADE 1, which ran from September 2013 to February 2018, surpassed its target by raising the income of 150,233 poor people by £17,969,107.

“Impressed by the results, MADE got a cost extension from the Department for International Development (DFID) for an additional two years from March 2018 to February 2020. MADE 11 built upon the successes of MADE 1 aimed at raising the incomes of additional 155,000 people,” he said.