In Niger, CROPS4HD actors participated to the National Forum for Women’s and Youth’s Empowerment[1] taking place in Dosso in October 2022. It was the 6th edition with the specific theme “Entrepreneurship in Niger: promoting areas of growth”. The objective of this edition was to bring together during five days various food processing actors working on digital marketing. CROPS4HD, have had the opportunity to present the Participatory Market Chain Approach (PMCA). All three PMCA thematic groups could participate. They presented CROPS4HD and the PMCA process, they improved their visibility and could present their products. They could also network and learn about digital marketing.
Indeed, this was a great opportunity to raise awareness on the project in general and on the PMCA process in particular. Indeed, this event is very famous in Niger and gathered around various stakeholders: national and international NGOs, state services, women’s groups, unions, producers, etc. Therefore, the meeting enabled to strengthen networking between SWISSAID team and external civil society representatives. More importantly it also actively promoted exchanges between PMCA thematic groups and the broader public. Thematic groups presented their objectives and the whole process they are involve in. Plus, it was a great opportunity for advertising for these new products that these thematic groups are currently developing (e.g. by tourism’s or hotels’ representatives).
The thematic groups invited by SWISSAID-Niger organized themselves with a stand. They were visible through communication banners of the project recapitulating the PMCA process’s steps and explain their three thematic groups: NUS vegetables, NUS cereals and NUS fruits. Each group could exhibit, promote and sell its own products. Among the products on sale were:
- Products based on Bambara Bean such as juice, biscuits and cake,
- Products based on Moringa such as flour and oil,
- Products based on Sesame such as ointment and oil.
Finally, as these thematic groups are in their second phase of analysing business opportunities in a participatory way, their presence at this forum was a great opportunity to test consumer openness to new NUS products. It allowed them also to discover what is being done in terms of digital marketing and the potential use for their products. Then, talking directly with consumers, transformers, civil society organizations and governmental actors, the PMCA thematic groups could initiate some interesting networks together with promising new value chain actors.
[1] Forum national pour l’Autonomisation des Femmes et des Jeunes , FONAF