EPDI Nigeria hosts Action Planning workshop for Association of Sustainable Seed Producers

Below are the major activities that EPDI was involved in during the month of November:

AFRICA ToP NETWORK

The network’s monthly meeting held on November 18, 2020 with five persons from different countries in attendance. Some of the issues discussed include:

  • The purpose of the Network: includes sharing what we do and learning from one another; strengthen ICA and ToP in Africa through sharing reports, having such forums and remaining connected/together; bring back some people into the network; develop, promote and improve the quality of ToP methods in Africa; support each other in our work, among others.
  • How to get more people into the Network: Involve anyone who’s interested in ToP, Promote ToP methods through other networks, Develop sessions in English, French and other languages – and promote the sessions as multi-lingual to encourage others; Finding other ToP practitioners around the continent and drawing them in to the network, Contact those who’ve been in previous ToP sessions and invite them
  • Other issues discussed include resource mobilization, Online Facilitation and doing a survey to review experiences of participants in the first round of Exploring Facilitation sessions.  Meetings hold on every third Wednesday of each month. Next meeting is scheduled for January 20, 2021.

ACTION PLANNING WORKSHOP FOR ASSOCIATION OF SUSTAINABLE SEED PRODUCERS OF OYO, NIGERIA (ASSPON) ORGANISED BY IITA BASICS-II PROJECT

The meeting/workshop between IITA BASICS-II Project and Association of Sustainable Seed Producers of Oyo, Nigeria (ASSPON), with the theme: Sustaining Commercial Seed Enterprises in Oyo State, held at Agriserve Training room, IITA Ibadan on Tuesday November 23, 2020.

The objectives of the program were:

  • To conduct an appraisal of the association with a view to identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the association.
  • To co-create an action plan using the Technology of Participation for cassava seed production in 2021.
  • Sensitize members of the association on the new names for cassava varieties.
  • Link the association to other key actors including IITA GoSeed and the National Agricultural Seed Council.

Using the Action Planning Process, one of the Technology of Participation (ToP) methods, Hannah guided the group to develop a one-year action plan for a strong, vibrant and sustained Association.

Five taskforces were set up at the end to implement the activities to enable them achieve the following:

  • Ensuring law-abiding members
  • Maximum Productivity
  • Awareness of ASSPON by everyone in Oyo state
  • Unity in the Association
  • Financial Stability for the Association

The program had participants from Oyo (5), Ibadan (8) as well as staff of JDPC Ibadan, and JDPM Oyo, and staff of IITA, Ibadan.

The workshop left the participants with a change of mindset as members willingly and thoughtfully identified many positive actions they would take to better coordinate themselves towards having a more successful association. The participants also expressed belief that the one-year plan will contribute to making cassava seed business a more profitable venture.

The facilitator ended her session with a Tao – The Ripple Effect, encouraging them to work together to achieve their goal; while the closing remarks were given by Godwin Atser, Outreach, Advocacy and Promotion Lead and Prof. Lateef Sanni, Project Manager, BASICS -II Project.


This article was first published in the Global Buzz, December 2020.