Nuru Nigeria Marks Major Milestone with $2M USAID Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 2, 2021 

Contact: Kellyn Lovell | info@nuruinternational.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – After many months of co-creation and adaptive learning, Nuru Nigeria was awarded $2 million in funding through USAID’s Office of Local Sustainability in support of its Building Sustainable Livelihoods (BSL) program. Notably, the award is both the largest in organizational history and the first governmental award. This partnership will amplify Nuru Nigeria’s mission to build resilience corridors of strong, locally-owned farmer cooperatives driving profitable livelihoods in conflict-vulnerable states. Under the BSL program, Nuru International will serve as a sub-awardee, providing technical oversight and mentorship in agriculture, livelihoods, food security, nutrition, and financial inclusion. 

“It’s an important day for Nuru Nigeria and Adamawa State; as a major milestone in our drive to build community resilience in vulnerable rural areas has been achieved,” said Amy Gaman, Executive Director, Nuru Nigeria, at a “flag-off” event celebrating the launch of the program. Also present at the event was Acting Deputy Director for USAID’s Economic Growth and Environment Office, Jodi Kaye Wade. Ms. Kaye noted, “There is an urgent need for tools and investment to enable productive livelihoods and to establish trust, social cohesion, and community resilience.”

Within the two-year implementation period, the BSL program will:

1. improve household incomes, food security, and resilience through sustainable, gender-sensitive, agriculture-led economic growth; 
2. increase community financial resilience through enhanced private sector investment in agriculture and public-private partnership in the provision of financial services; 
3. increase social cohesion among communities in northern Adamawa State leading to economic resilience; and 
4. increase community stability through economic and organizational partnership. 

Leaders pose for photo at flag-off event. Pictured, L to R: Professor Maxwell Gidado, Chief of Staff, Government House Yola, Adamawa State; Jodi Kaye Wade, Acting Deputy Director, USAID Economic Growth and Environment Office; Amy Gaman, Executive Director, Nuru Nigeria; Hon. Michael Shehu, Executive Chairman, Michika LGA, Adamawa State; and Aerie Changala, Chief Executive Officer, Nuru International

Adds Gaman, “Investment in agriculture is not just as a social undertaking, but an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development model that focuses on enhancing profitable livelihoods is critical for the economic growth and stability of our dear country, Nigeria.” She notes, “This intervention is timely, given the current security situation in the country, the food crisis, and especially with the renewed effort of the Government of Nigeria to strengthen our agriculture and nutrition sectors in order to achieve food security and generate broad-based growth.”

Nuru Nigeria and Nuru International are proud to partner with USAID and the government of Adamawa State to continue cultivating lasting meaningful choices in Nigeria’s most vulnerable and marginalized communities.

About Nuru International
Nuru International belongs to a nonprofit ecosystem creating a more just and equitable world by incubating locally-led, owned, and sustained organizations in sub-Saharan Africa. These implementing organizations – Nuru Kenya, Nuru Ethiopia, and Nuru Nigeria – cultivate enabling environments for stability and economic opportunity. 

About Nuru Nigeria
Established in 2017, Nuru Nigeria helps Nigerian farmers and their families lift themselves out of extreme poverty by helping farmers move from subsistence to building thriving farmer-owned and farmer-led cooperatives. 

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