The importance of commodity value chain development in the current economic growth and development of the Federal Government cannot be overemphasized. Report shows that at post oil boom, Nigeria lost her agricultural commodity production position in cocoa, oil palm, cotton and groundnut to her competitors in South America, Asia and other African countries. These competitors took over from Nigeria because they have well developed value chain development strategies which have considerably increased their productivity and linked their agricultural commodities with global markets.

A well-developed commodity value chain will promote private investment, generate employment and income, and transform Nigeria into a net producer of value-added agricultural commodities for local markets and exports. However, the existing and potential stakeholders in commodity value chain management in Nigeria need to be empowered with appropriate requisite skills and techniques for effective value chain development. There is therefore, the urgent need to equip development practitioners in agriculture and rural development with appropriate skills to effectively facilitate commodity value chain actors and all stakeholders to embrace agriculture as a business.

Course Objectives:

This workshop is designed to enhance the capacity of the participants with appropriate VCD knowledge, skills and techniques to effectively facilitate agricultural commodity value chain development activities. At the end of the workshop, participants should be able to:

• Explain the concept of value chain development.
• Facilitate group formation amongst stakeholders.
• Manage conflicts among VCD actors and stakeholders; and
• Monitor and evaluate VCD activities.

Content:

• Concept of value chain development.
• Skills, competencies and roles of VCD facilitators.
• Value chain mapping and analysis.
• Linking stakeholders to market
• Strategies for value chain empowerment.
• Communication skills for value chain facilitators.
• Gender consideration in VCD facilitation.
• Group formation and governance/relationship in VCD.
• Conflict management among value chain actors and stakeholders.
• ICT applications in VCD facilitation.
• Participatory monitoring and evaluation in VCD.

Training Methods

 Lectures, group exercises, role plays, discussions and case studies.

Who Should Attend?

 Subject Matter Specialists, Extension Officers, Agricultural Business Advisors and Enterprise Managers including those in Multinationals, Oil Companies, CADP, NDE, NGOs, CBOs, FBOs and other private sectors.