Nigeria is the largest economy of Africa and one of the fastest growing countries in the world, with a population of almost 200 million, estimated to grow to 400 million in 2050. This brings demographic challenges in terms of food security, urbanization and unemployment.
Because of the growing population and middle class currently, there is a higher demand for nutritious food and diversity in fruit and vegetables which are essential ingredients for people’s health and development. However, growing vegetables in tropical circumstances is not easy due to disease pressure, insects, and fungus.
High-quality inputs selected for tropical agronomic circumstances and resistant to pests and diseases can provide a solution to these challenges, but improved inputs should be combined with knowledge transfer and capacity building of farmers’ skills.
The S4C program has been developed to address the growing demand and need for a greater diversity of vegetables; the lack of farmer information; poor access to inputs; and poor cultivation techniques.
S4C aims to provide part of the solution through access to improved seeds and biological crop protection for Nigerian (smallholder) farmers combined with capacity building and a transfer of knowledge through practical demonstrations, farmer-to-farmer learning and trainings.
You can download the S4C info leaflet here.