J.E. Austin Associates (JAA) is collaborating with CNFA on the USAID Feed the Future, Nigeria Agribusiness Investment (NAI) activity, a five-year project to promote private sector investment in the agricultural sector. JAA implements project activities to strengthen Nigeria’s business enabling environment, one of three main components to this project. NAI has applied JAA’s collaborative and evidence-based methodology to assist national and state governments to develop 10 policies to date which have been approved by multiple levels of government. Additionally, experts from the project lead Public Private Dialogues (PPDs) with private sector partners and government representatives to facilitate communication and problem solving and to create new policies which will improve the business enabling environment for the Nigerian agriculture sector.Using this collaborative method of policymaking, NAI has worked with our public and private sector partners to achieve important improvements in the enabling environment for agriculture, including:

• The successful development of new Administrative Guidelines and Processes for the Registration of Cooperative Societies in Delta, Ebonyi and Cross River States that has improved the efficiency of registration processes in those states, making it easier and cheaper for cooperatives to form and to access capital and other forms of support for their members.
• The New Niger State Sector Specific Investment Incentive Policy, a unique investment facilitation idea, was developed to build the path for greater and more inclusive growth including strengthening the investment climate that would encourage investment in the state.
• The National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Plan (NATIP). The Activity significantly reviewed the executive summary which facilitated the development of the draft policy and as a member of the Strategic Working Committee, it provided valuable technical input into the policy that shaped it for stakeholders’ consideration and validation before its approval.
• Initiated and supported the review of the Nigeria National Quality Policy, both technically and financially, which coincided with the signing of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) that will encourage agribusinesses to compete on quality, reach larger markets, gain greater access to international value chains and create more affordable choices in the market.
• Provided significant technical and financial support, and advocacy towards the review and approval of the National MSMEs Policy with tremendous emphasis on the profitability of agribusinesses and was one of the considerations for setting up of the department of agribusiness in the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN).

The Feed the Future Nigeria Agribusiness Investment Activity project has helped implement the following policies:

• Delta State Agriculture Policy
• Niger State Agriculture Policy
• Kaduna State Agriculture Policy
• Niger State Sector Specific Investment Incentive Policy
• Review of Delta State Administrative Guidelines for Registration of Cooperative Societies
• National Quality Policy
• National MSME Policy

The Enabling Environment Component maintains an active legislative and policy pipeline, which are at various stages of achievement. The following policies and legislation are currently being pursued, with others being added on an ongoing basis:

• Cross River State Agriculture Policy
• National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Plan
• National Fertilizer Policy
• Investment and Securities Act 2007 (Commodity Exchange Markets/Warehouse Receipt System)
• National Agricultural Seed Policy
• National Agriculture Soil Management Policy
• Benue State Rural Development Policy
• Contract Farming Policy (Kaduna, Niger, and Ebonyi States)
• National Trade Policy
• Digitalization of Registration of Cooperative Societies (in all seven states)
• Aquaculture Value Chain Policies (Niger, Cross River, Ebonyi and Delta States)