This project seeks to improve the management capacities of BMOs to provide better services to their members. Through our Association Strengthening intervention, we are building the organisational capacity of fish farming associations, improving their fish farming practices through demonstration ponds, connecting the farmers with local service provider experts to improve their business skills through the NAEC training and increasing their access to new technologies.
To help improve the farmers’ businesses, PIND trained 16 farmers from three fish farming associations on financial management and group dynamics. The Associations are United Ugboroke Fish Farming Association (UUFFA), Progressive Fish Farmers Association (PFF) and Liberty Fish Farmers (LFF). The farmers gained increased understanding of cash flow, team work, and techniques for business and credit planning, leading to commencement of loan disbursement to the three associations by two microfinance banks under PIND/USADF N3.2 million revolving loan scheme.
We carried out a capacity diagnostic assessment of the UUFFA and facilitated the development of a three year strategic plan for the association 2012-2015. We also facilitated Aquaculture stakeholders workshop on information sharing and advocacy training and supported setting up an advocacy committee which will engage with key stakeholders in the region. So far, our Advocacy support to UUFFA has resulted in attracting NDDC to construct three roads linking the fish farm cluster at a value of N200 Million naira. We also linked up UPFFA (United Progressive Fish farmers association) to the SACE project and the association is receiving ongoing support in developing its advocacy capacity
“While we were working on the demonstration pond, PIND actually strengthened our internal structure. Our internal structure was very very weak, but now it is good. They even helped us get an office. On our farm now, we have a three-bedroom office space that we are using. We were aware of our internal weaknesses before the training, but we did not know how to put these in order. PIND came and did a joint assessment, they scored us and we scored ourselves. We quickly put things in place after that, before when some government people come, we will just be standing under the sun to talk, but now we have an office space that we can take them in. Our records used to be scattered in different hands, but now we are more organized.
Ever since we got ourselves in order, there is an influx of people. People are coming because word has gone out and people can see that a lot of good things are happening there, especially with all these trainings that we are having. The word is spreading without our knowledge, people are coming … they are rushing to come and join the association”.
Michael Uwehomobosa,
Chairman, Ugboroke Fish Farming Association
Project Details
Project Area:
Aquaculture Value Chain Project
Value Chain Support
Program Area:
Economic Development
Value Chains Development