Authors; Bedru Balana, Dolapo Adeyanju, Hyacinth Edeh, Kwaw Andam, & Omobolanle Onilogbo
Photo credit: Dolapo Adeyanju/IFPRI
On October 18, 2023, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)- Nigeria, in collaboration with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) organized a one-day research findings dissemination workshop in Yola, the capital of Adamawa state in Northeast Nigeria. The workshop aimed at disseminating the research findings from the ’Anticipatory cash transfers for climate resilience’ randomized control trial (RCT) impact evaluation study designed to evaluate a one-off large sum cash transfer that combined an anticipatory action with a conventional post-shock humanitarian response in a climate risk and conflict-prone environment.
The primary goal of the research is to generate empirical evidence on the impacts, effectiveness, and cost-efficiency of anticipatory vs. post-shock humanitarian interventions and improve the efficiency of policies and practices for climate-prone and conflict-affected smallholder farmers and livestock holders in Nigeria. The workshop brought together 70 participants from civil society, academia, NGOs, humanitarian agencies, government, and the private sector.
Mr Ishaku Yohanna, Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) Manager at IRC-Nigeria initiated the session with an opening statement and a summary of the Anticipatory Action Project in Nigeria, underlining its significance in addressing the multifaceted climate crisis that smallholder farmers and livestock owners encounter in northeast Nigeria.
Dr Kwaw Andam, Country Program Leader at IFPRI-Nigeria, delivered a welcoming address and provided a brief presentation on IFPRI's research and policy support in Nigeria, with a focus on agri-food systems and climate resilience.
Delivering her goodwill message, Hajiya Safiya Mohammed Abubakar, State Controller of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Yola Field Office, Adamawa State, expressed her appreciation for the project and the research team for sharing the research findings back to the state government and local community , describing it as a vivid example of providing policy evidence to the to support both the state and federal government efforts in tackling climate crisis affecting vulnerable rural communities. Madam Edna Azure, Director of Agricultural Services at the State Ministry of Agriculture, in her goodwill message, conveyed her gratitude to IFPRI and IRC for the innovative concept and expressed her interest in collaborating with IFPRI to extend innovative interventions beyond the community level.
Dr Bedru Balana, a Research Fellow at IFPRI-Abuja, presented the research findings on the Anticipatory Cash for Climate Resilience Project. His presentation focused on the impact of the intervention on a range of outcome measures, including food security indicators, coping strategy indices, climate resilience actions, and subjective well-being. The results are generally positive, indicating that anticipatory action yielded better livelihood outcomes, climate resilience, and food security outcomes for beneficiaries.
Reacting to the question of the long-term effects of the intervention, Mr. Ishaku Yohanna explained that the distribution of cash will not only help households to smoothen their consumption during shock but will generate positive long-term impacts on their livelihoods as evident in the study findings. He encouraged humanitarian organizations working on climate issues to adopt a similar strategy and incorporate research into their programme design to generate decision-support evidence to guide their actions.
Beyond short-term assessment, Inimbom Bassey, a climate change expert at the Environmental and Economic Resource Centre proposed a post-distribution and monitoring plan to assess cash use, as well as a follow-up study to examine the intervention's long-term impact. Participants also suggested scaling the intervention outside the pilot areas to include more communities exposed to annual man-made flooding in the state. Mr. Yohanna Moses, the Chief Executive Director of the Environmental Care Foundation (ECF), highlighted the importance of considering the carbon footprint of interventions, as efforts to assist vulnerable households should not inadvertently exacerbate climate-related challenges.
Following the research presentation, a panel session was held to discuss feedback and reflections raised during the research findings. Dolapo Adeyanju, a Research Analyst at IFPRI-Nigeria, moderated the panel discussion, which featured specialists from the public, academia/research, private, and humanitarian sectors. A common point among the panelists is the importance of tackling climate-related challenges through a multi-stakeholder approach and developing a state-level climate change policy. Reacting to this, Dr Kwaw Andam emphasized IFPRI's pivotal role in coordinating various stakeholders to support climate-related policy evidence in Nigeria, as well as IFPRI's commitment to continuing these efforts.
Wrapping up the discussion, Mr Diyale Diftuffe, the Acting Head of office/field coordinator, Adamawa State Field Office of IRC, described “anticipatory action as a proactive measure that can assist communities in mitigating disasters that may emerge as a result of the climate shocks.” He stressed the need to intensify anticipatory efforts such as Early Warning Early Messaging (EWEM) and support mechanisms to minimize the impacts of climate shocks, particularly flooding, on vulnerable households.
Participants expressed their satisfaction with the workshop and the opportunities for collaboration on innovative solutions to mitigate climate change challenges in Nigeria. The readiness and enthusiasm of the different partners for collaborative actions was very encouraging. Government stakeholders expressed their willingness to engage with the research team, NGOs and local communities to support research activities and interventions that enhance climate resilience of smallholders in Adamawa.
