Association Small Scale Agro Producers The association of Small-Scale Agro Producers in Nigeria (ASSAPIN) is an incorporated Non Governmental Organization registered withthe Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Abuja CAC/IT/38325 in April 2010. The Small-Scale farmers are overwhelming majorityof farmers in the country, accounting for over 90%, but because they are scattered and isolated, they have faced marginalization, exclusion and disempowerment over time especially women and the youths. This marginalization, exclusion and disempowerment, limited the voices of small-scale farmers from being heard, and their issues are not being taken into account nor are their specific concerns being addressed in any concious and systematically sustainable manner. The result is the neglect of the sector andthe current incidence of food insecurity in the country thereby placing Nigeria as the world largest importer of wheat and the Number (2) world importer of rice, the situation need urgent action taking to make agriculture attractive and sustainable in Nigeria, otherwise importing food will surely lead to importing inflation and driving poverty in the future. Given this history of neglect and disempowerment, the coupled with the recent renewed global and national interest in small-scale agriculture and small-scale farmers, the establishment of small-scale farmers from across the country through group formation and registration has become imperatives in order to increase the voices and the capacity of small-scale farmers to onfluence agricultural policiesand practices so that the desire impact of Food Securityand Sustainable development can be achieved, particularly among women and youth small-scale farmers. ASSAPIN Mission Statement " ASSAPIN is committed to empowering Small-Scale farmers through Mobilization, Capacity building, Policy influencing, Research and Support to improve Agriculture for Susitanable development".

The UltimateOutcome of the project is to Improved livelihoods for 10,000 (60% women) rural farmer households in Bauchi State through increased farm productivity, enhanced market access, better nutrition and improved/enhanced enabling environment for agricultural business development. While the  Intermediate Outcomes are
1) Increased yields in selected commodity and livestock value chains for women and men farmers and youth (60% women)
2) Improved agricultural business enabling environment that is more responsive to the needs of women, men, and youth members of farmer households
3) Improved nutrition for vulnerable farmer households,especially women and children

The Project will focus on the following value chains: maize, sorghum, sesame, dairy, and meat (beef, mutton, and goats) and will seek to enhance access to markets through collaboration with key private sector actors in order to define and ensure market specifications are met. The four private sector actors that the Project will partner with are: GrandCereals Limited and NASCO Foods, for the first three commodities; and the Integrated Dairies Limited and Bauchi Meat Products Company Ltd., for dairy and meat.

The Project will work in collaboration with the Bauchi State government to establish BusinessIncubation Centres (one per target LGA) focused on small business development for youth and Nodal Information, Training, and Processing Centres (10 per target LGA or one per target ward) that will provide information and skills training for women and youth in food processing to create jobs. In addition, farmers will be organized to work in collaboration with other interest groups, alliances and civil society organizations to influence the Bauchi State government to create an enabling environment that supports market-based agricultural value chain interventions. Furthermore, the project intends to reach 1,000 vulnerable households among the 10,000 target households that include children, pregnant and nursing women, and mothers of young children, throughtraining to develop home-based skills in nutritional diversification and through promotional campaigns.

The Project will promote environmental sustainability through training and use of ecosystem friendly herd health strategies and livestock feed optionsas well as agricultural practices such as zero tillage, conservation agriculture and organic farming.

The Project will atthe end lead to increased yields in selected commodity and livestock value chains for women and men farmers and youth; an improved agricultural business enabling environment that is responsive to the needs of women, men, and youth members of farmer households; and improved nutrition for vulnerablefarmer households, especially women and children.

The Project is aligned with two United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets: reduce by 30% the number of people living in poverty and promote gender equality and empower women; as well as with the Government of Nigeria#s Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP), of which BauchiState is a part. The Project is also in alignment with Global Affairs Canada development priorities in Nigeria, namely to stimulate sustainable rural economic growth for poverty reduction, enhance food security, and secure the future of youth through employment.