CO-ROSELL: EU Food Secur. Resilence Nigeria is Africa's largest economy by some estimates, but in many ways, the country is not typical for the continent.  Despite strong economic growth, its progress in reducing poverty and tackling gender inequality has lagged the continent as a whole, ranking 152 out of 188 countries in the world on the UN Human Development Index.   Within Nigeria, Taraba state is considered among the poorest states in Nigeria.   It is bordered by Adamawa state to the east, Gombe and Bauchi states to the north, Plateau,Nasarawa, and Benue states to the west, and the Republic of Cameroon to the south. Specifically, according to a UN report published in 2015 which assessed poverty level by state in Nigeria, Taraba state ranks 29th out of Nigeria#s 36 states for wealth, with 77.7% of its population living below the poverty line (a far higher poverty rate than the national average of 46%).

A number of factors negatively impacts livelihoods in Taraba state, primary among them are human insecurity challenges and climate change.  Human insecurity challenges andpolitical instability result from prolonged skirmishes of ethno-religious and land resource-based conflicts, which are exacerbated by an influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) fleeing the Boko Haram insurgencyin Northeast Nigeria, entering Taraba by way ofneighbouring Adamawa state. Climatological uncertainties aggravate an already vulnerable agricultural system, as temperatures and the rainfall pattern and distribution become less predictable, and communities face cycles of flooding and drought which negatively decrease production and shut down market opportunities along commodity value chains, thereby placing the Global Acute Malnutrition status of the state within the stressed threshold.  As such, the natural resources which poor people in rural areas depend on for their food security # land and water # are degrading in quality against a background of rising competition for their possession . The state#s population of over two million  now live in communities that are experiencing increased exposure to stressed food consumption status and their livelihoods is at crisis level,  with levels of stunting in children at 43% (higher than the Nigerian average of 37%).

The population of Taraba State is heavilyreliant on the agricultural economy, though there is little reliable data to indicate exact numbers (one estimate is 80% of the population).   The Taraba State Government has identified a number of challenges to food production levels, including: lack ofinfrastructure such as warehouses/silos and market facilities; inadequate supply and distribution of improved agro-inputs; lack of lack of organised markets and weak private sector participation in agricultural development activities; and prevalence of farmer-herder conflicts.

In the light of the above, Oxfam proposes to grow a resilient commodity value chain and rural enterprise model that will benefit small-scale farmers in Taraba state, Nigeria. The action will fast-track agricultural productivity,promote access to markets, increase income, and improve socioeconomic stability in selected communities within the state.  Ultimately, small-scale farmers participating in this action will be able a) to produce (#PRO#) enough food to feed themselvesandtheirhousehold; and b) produce a surplus of food that can be sold (#SELL#) into a market to sustain an income (together, #PROSELL#).