Mercy Corps Empowers over 9,000 Ginger Farmers in Kaduna through ERGF Project

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Mercy Corps has announced that it has empowered 9,383 ginger farmers in Kaduna State under its Empowering Resilient Ginger Farmers (ERGF) project, designed to boost productivity, strengthen resilience, and improve livelihoods.

Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja at the project’s closeout meeting with LAPO Microfinance Bank, the programme manager of Mercy Corps, Mr. Ismail Rilwan, disclosed that the initiative—funded by donor TAZO—began in March 2023 and will run until August 2025. The project is being implemented across four local government areas of Southern Kaduna—Kachia, Jaba, Sanga, and Jemaa—popularly known as the “ginger triangle”.

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Rilwan highlighted Nigeria’s comparative advantage, noting that the country is the second-largest producer of ginger globally, with Kaduna State alone contributing about 90 percent of national output.

“Despite this advantage, farmers face recurring crop diseases, high input costs and limited access to finance,” Rilwan explained. “The ERGF project was initiated to address these gaps, increase yields and promote financial stability.”

He further noted that the project was specifically designed to support smallholder farmers, especially women, to overcome long-standing barriers in ginger cultivation.

“The programme seeks to empower at least 51 per cent female farmers by raising productivity and income while building resilience to agricultural and economic shocks,” he said.

According to him, the project’s 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, labour-intensive practices, recurring diseases, and poor access to finance as major obstacles. He added that Mercy Corps was partnering with several organisations, including the Institute for Agricultural Research at Ahmadu Bello University, Kaduna Agricultural Development Agency, Kaduna State University, Octavio Development Company, Co-Funds, LAPO Microfinance Bank, Bank of Agriculture, Salama Radio, Rockside FM, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, and Incorporated International Development.

According to him, these interventions are already yielding results. “Yields have improved from the average 5–12 tons per hectare to approach the 38 tons per hectare potential under optimal conditions,” he revealed.

He added that farmers have also gained better access to loans, while women are increasingly active in agribusiness and decision-making within their communities.

On lessons from the devastating 2023 ginger disease outbreak, which caused an estimated N10 billion loss, Rilwan said, “There were early signs and symptoms, but they went unnoticed. Going forward, we must strengthen extension services and establish an early warning system to detect and contain such outbreaks before they spread.”

Also speaking, Mr. John Ogbebor, Agriculture Business Manager at LAPO Microfinance Bank, underscored credit access as a persistent challenge

“Many farmers face bottlenecks such as tedious processes, high interest rates and long delays. Some wait for months, and in extreme cases, even years before loans are disbursed,” Ogbebor said.

He explained that in partnership with Mercy Corps, LAPO Microfinance Bank had disbursed N48 million to 305 farmers in Kaduna State, including 170 women.

“The loans covered farm inputs, labour and other value chain expenses, with flexible repayment terms tied to the ginger harvest cycle. The farmers were given a grace period until harvest before repayment, and loan terms were adjusted to match the gestational period of ginger,” he said.

He stressed that sustainability and inclusion remain central to achieving long-term agricultural impact. “Inclusion is about bringing more people into the value chain and the financing sector, including women and cooperatives. That is how we build resilience and shared prosperity,” Ogbebor added.

Mercy Corps, which operates in more than 20 countries with its headquarters in Portland, United States, runs programmes in Nigeria focusing on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); Food Security and Livelihoods; Economic Opportunity; and Peace and Good Governance.

The Abuja meeting was rounded off with a panel discussion on “Financial Inclusion and Resilience: Driving Shared Prosperity in Nigeria.

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