Food security in Nigeria is threatened by poor transportation, customs procedures, and policy. As a subcontractor on USAID’s Markets Program, Nathan Associates worked to ease the movement of staple crops in Nigeria by improving logistics in certain transport corridors, advancing customs modernization, and providing training in trade policy formulation and reform.

Removing Obstacles to Smooth Transportation

To make transport in the Lagos-Kano-Niger corridor more efficient, our experts proposed for urgent problems: quantifying the economic impact of chokepoints; initiating public-private dialogue on corridor development; and promoting private sector advocacy of reform.

Modernizing Customs Operations

To modernize the Nigeria Customs Service, our experts strengthened the legal basis for customs modernization by first replacing the Customs and Excise Management Act of 1958 with legislation reflecting the RKC and SAFE Framework. They then defined the roles and responsibilities of government and businesses in facilitating trade and encourage adoption of best practices.

Trade Policy Training

Food security in Nigeria requires higher farm productivity and continued large-scale importing of food, but such importing should not depress farm income and investment. Avoiding a vicious cycle will require careful management of trade policy and policy impacts. In concert with the trade capacity building work of other international donors, Nathan Associates focused training on the convergence of trade policy and food security, using local and private training and research resources as much as possible and facilitating local advocacy of transparent trade policies.