SAA COVID-19 newsletter has been published. This edition is written about the situation in Nigeria.

As of 21 December, Nigeria has recorded 78,434 positive cases of COVID-19 and registered 1,221 deaths. In mid-April this year, the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) conducted a rapid assessment to identify the impact of COVID-19 across its focus countries in Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria and Uganda. The study highlighted key challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak and put forward recommendations to mitigate the effects whilst continuing to ensure basic agricultural extension services to smallholder farmers. The study found that the initial lockdown measures imposed by governments across the focus countries led to the restriction of mobility, and also limited extension agents’ routine contact with farmers. Input and output dealers observed a sharp decline in the supply of materials needed by farmers. Agro-processors and private service providers reported low patronage, low demand for grain milling, lack of access to grain products for processing and new input stocks, and limited access to necessary raw materials for agro-processing. Financial institutions also observed a decline in the number of customers servicing their loans, which depleted their capital investment.

Please see the file below to read more about this.

COVID-19 Newsletter