CSJ Budget Technical Assistance To SWOFON Increased FG’s Spending On Agriculture

The federal government has increased its spending on agriculture as a result of the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) data-driven advocacy and budget technical assistance to the Smallholder Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON).

The support came under the SPARK project with funding from the International Budget Partnership (IBP).

The overall objective of the project was to support SWOFON through capacity building, to engage policymakers, the budgeting process, and hold duty bearers accountable for obligations under national and international standards and thereby enhance SWOFON’s access to benefits from public resources.

CSJ has provided budget technical assistance to the SPARK program since 2019, supporting SWOFON with strategic training and technical accompaniment.

The project secured three critical budgetary changes to bolster women farmers’ livelihoods and contributions to the country’s agricultural sector. As a result of data-driven advocacy, the federal government increased its spending on agriculture by 18.5% and made new federal budget allocations towards the sector in the five focus states targeted by the program. Crucially, 111,000 smallholder women farmers gained access to new or improved seeds and fertiliser to grow crops, and lighter and more modern equipment to increase production.

IBP and CSJ assisted SWOFON in improving their budget and political advocacy skills so that they knew what they were looking for, whom to address, what to expect, and what to ask for.

Armed with these new skills to examine and navigate the budget and the actors who influence it, SWOFON’s state and national networks led mass actions, including marches across 3 focus states. They also organised mass applications from over 379,000 women for access to fertiliser, seed, and equipment. This strategy exerted electoral pressure on state actors during general elections, since SWOFON represents more than 500,000 women farmers with the power to influence election outcomes through their votes.