Is Dutch expertise and knowledge in protected horticulture tailored to the needs of Lagos state? Well, the answer I should give is clearly yes, however, the truth is no. Dutch knowledge and expertise doesn’t align with the needs of Lagos State, at least not in the common way of looking at it.

Hence genetics, greenhouse technology, logistical solutions, and everything else on the shelf doesn’t fit in the Lagos setting either due to climate conditions, investment capacity, utilities infrastructure or experience on Lagos side to handle the more complex technology. And if it all does, there’s an issue on import barriers. Besides that, the Dutch industry in general has no focus on Africa; other continents better match these criteria. But there’s also good news.

Before we go on, I shall introduce myself and our organizations. My name is Coen Hubers, I’m the coordinator of the AgriFood program of the strategic alliance of the universities Leiden-Delft-Erasmus, three top 100 universities with a total 90.000 students, situated in the middle of the largest glass greenhouse area in the world and the main European horticulture logistical cluster, Greenport West-Holland. A Greenport is a definition for a regional horticulture cluster, including the framework for collaboration between business, research/education, and government.

Collaboration is key for the Dutch, as wella as for our activities in Nigeria. Together with Seed2Feed, a high-end independent business driven horticulture focused Dutch NGO, with its roots at Rabobank, represented by Frans de Jong, former CFO of Rabobank Westland and current board member at agricultural research institute Vertify, we’ve been working on a proposition for horticulture collaboration between Nigeria and the Netherlands for the past two years.

Our approach differs from that of regular NGO’s as it’s coming from a different background. This background is cooperative entrepreneurship and farmers association’s ability to work on Agri-Food challenges. Over the past 25 years I worked for several of the leading Dutch cooperatives in horticulture either focused on primary production, value chain or financials products.

These cooperatives have a specific DNA. Since they’re already active for more than 100 years in agriculture, they don’t present themselves in a modern way as AgTech or worry about their short-turn stockholder value. Its philosophy is about the benefits for farmers and stakeholders and the development of the sector in the common interest.
A common phrase at the beginning of the 20th century would be, “Eendracht maakt Macht,” or in English, “Unity makes Power,”.

A cooperative is based on trust, well understood own interest and communication. Cooperatives always act within the technical limitations for e.g., logistics and communication. Improved technologies and gains in efficiency due to economics of scale enlarged the scope of cooperatives from local, regional, national or even international either by organic growth or by mergers.
Essential are common values, ability to communicate and trust, if to build activities within a horticulture eco-system. And here, COVID comes in. Our communication changed overnight from primarily physical to digital, changing the habits in our eco system.

But not only ours. African Farmers Stories, a Nigerian NGO co-founded by Victoria Madedor and Edobong Akpabio started using digital media to cover the impact of COVID on African Farmers, from a value proposition that doesn’t differ a lot from ours. So, after a first meeting with Victoria a webinar on Drones in African Agriculture was easily planned. And yes, the technology doesn’t fit. But often this is the same in the Netherlands, it doesn’t fit right away, it must be adjusted, and this is the process we’re in.

In fact, COVID helped us a lot to build our collaboration, as we were forced to develop our online communication, which turned out to be very effective. And is not only about the connection between NL and Nigeria, but also from scientific research to real life application.

An example: We invited CEO Bram Tijmons of PATS Drones in the panel discussion with Farmer Samson Ogbole from Nigerian Soilless Farmlab. But PATS has no focus on the African market. It is in fact one of our most advanced high-tech drone start-ups, flying autonomous pocket drones in greenhouses, killing harmful mots.
As a result, Samson wants a drone that doesn’t fit the current specifics but one app message to Bram was sufficient to plan a co creating session with several start ups with YES! Delft, our leading European Tech Incubator, to see what could fit.

This is only one example. For a well-structured collaboration the first thing we need to align is the interaction and governance between the Nigerian and Dutch ecosystem. First steps have been taken and it worked well. In the end there’s only one difference with which we could tell the Nigerian and Dutch apart. They either complain that it’s too hot, or that it’s raining again.

So, what’s next? Together with the Dutch Embassy and RVO we’re working together with Nigerian and Dutch entrepreneurs, knowledge partners and NGO’s on an ImpactCluster in which an eco-system for the development of Nigerian protected cultivation can be created. An ImpactCluster consists out of a sort of Centre of Excellence combined with a regional development approach. One can call it a first step to building a Greenport structure. Over time it also includes local or regional government and knowledge institutes.

As already mentioned, the challenges are related to the field of genetics, greenhouse design, IPM, input of fertilizers, crop and farm management and value chain organization. In total something you can’t solve on the level of the individual farmer. Front runners can have a role in developing and spreading technologies, but in the end to transform a sector or industry, a cluster approach is needed. Taking into account, all stakeholders from growers, growers association, input and technology supplies, knowledge institutes and government.

The momentum is there to take the next step. Nigerian horticulture is extremely challenging, and this might be the right time to join hands and collaborate for a successful development of Nigerian horticulture industry, not by implementing standardized Dutch solutions, but by real cooperation to make useful additions tailored to the current Nigerian practice. We are ready to start and looking for passengers to enjoy the ride.

In the coming week a horticulture mission from Nigeria will come the Netherlands visiting the leading companies and research institutes. AgriFoodNetworks.org together with The African Farmers Stories will cover this mission, to see if it’s possible to connect and adjust.

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