Mennonite Economic DevelopmentAssociates of Canada

Published purpose

The project aims to advance economic growth in the agriculture sector by supporting the development of businesses and increasing income generating opportunities for women and youth in Bauchi State. The project seeks to engage government and private sector stakeholders to provide reliable services that support entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises. By improving economic conditions for women and youth aged 18 to 35, the project also aims to reduce the economic causes of child, early marriage. Project activities include: (1) designing and deploying more accessible and adapted financial services for small scale businesses and entrepreneurs, with a particular focus on women and youth; (2) providing support to small scale businesses to address shared value chain productivity constraints; and (3) developing culturally appropriate awareness campaigns to address early marriage. The project is expected to directly benefit 1,000 small scale businesses and 15,000 entrepreneurs with a focus on rice and sesame value chains for their high growth potential.