CBI Innovation Limited (CBiIL) supported the integration of the Fulani’s settled in the Paikon Kore grazing reserve into the supply chain driven by Nestlé and Câm.
During the first week of May 2021; CBiIL were able to identify and map smallholder dairy farmers within Gwagwalada area council to integrate them too into the value chain activities. From our assessment, we found that the women in pastoralist communities have huge potential with regards to the potential milk volume that can be supplied. CBiIL also confirmed that there were 24,000 cows within the reserve during our review. The activity enabled CBiIL to sensitize and create awareness of the benefits of this inclusive business opportunity amongst the Fulani Milk Producers (FMP) in their communities within the grazing reserve and close proximity to the milk collection centers.
In addition, this involved setting up a 2 days training program for the FMPs including 50% women and 40% youths; educating them on Life, Business and technical skills which will equip them with the knowledge on how to manage their dairy business.
Furthermore, CBiIL identified and registered existing dairy cooperatives and supported the formation of new ones. We started off by going into the community to address existing cooperatives and its members. This activity involved setting up meetings with Cooperative leaders and community leaders within and around Paikon Kore Grazing reserve for the purpose of strengthening and the formation of new cooperatives. It was agreed that each Cooperative will comprise of not more than 25 members respectively. During the course of this meeting, CBiIL explained and advised that the Cooperative leaders hold discussions with their members on how new cooperatives will be formed and be responsible for their respective registrations. This was pivotal, as it will allow them have a voice, be in control of the formation of the cooperatives and this will eventually lead them be more committed to the development of the inclusive business idea of the partnership.
Correspondingly, in the process of organizing new cooperatives; CBiIL assigned someone to inform the communities outside the grazing reserve such as Passo and Kutunku which are without cooperative groups that CBiIL plan to schedule a meeting with them to discuss the formation of cooperatives. On the 10th of May, CBiIL visited the Specialist Center Community where the meeting was being held. Ultimately, after introductions and discussions, The Ardo of the Specialist Community welcomed CBiIL and appreciated them for considering their community as part of the program. The Youth leader of the Specialist Community Mallam Yunusa also showed his appreciation and assured CBiIL their maximum support.
CBiIL were able to identify 166 (95 men & 61 women) registered members and 20 people who were not registered . We were also able to collate a total amount of 23 Cooperatives within and around the grazing reserve and also estimate the liters of milk that could be collected from each cooperative. This involved conducting a census survey, aimed at finding out the number of cattle in the community to enable CBiIL to determine the quantity of milk we can offtake and to determine the number of households in the community.
The cooperatives are arranged in a cluster of 5 for easy access and organisation. While the total milk potential estimated is 5,050 liters. Additionally, discussions are still ongoing with other interested communities for the formation of new cooperatives. We were able to register 18 out of the 23 cooperatives on ground, while the remaining are yet to be registered.
In continuation of creating awareness of the benefits of this business opportunity to the cooperative members, we initiated further discussions with the cooperatives to further enlighten them about the project which was scheduled for mid May.
The discussions were held and covered areas such as confirming the status and modalities of the registration; All the Cooperatives registered provided CBiIL with certificates of registration for legitimacy/compliance purposes.
In addition, CBiIL started identifying local inputs service providers assessing their capacity and empowering them to provide needed services. This involved training and coaching on agribusiness skills and commercial access. Thus, we asked each cooperative to provide 2 names, encouraging both genders, aged between 18-24 years with a cap of 30 years for the 2SCALE Opportunity for Youth Employment (OYE) Life & Business Skills training scheduled for 27th-28th of July 2021. This training involved the teaching and empowerment of the FMPs life basic and technical skills; market linkages, commercial access and market potentials.
During the course of this activity, we were able to identify and empower milk transporters; CBiIL focused mainly on youths, to identify and linked them to FMPs to provide milk transport service from the farm to the MCCs in a responsible and efficient way. This involved distribution of motor bikes to the cooperatives; and we went further to engage and explain to the cooperatives that they will be responsible for the motor bikes and the mode of payment will be charged or paid through their milk that would be off taken