Team Sage

Are you struggling to meet international standards and boost sesame seed productivity? As part of The Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA) Fellowship, we’ve developed an Export-Ready Farmers' Learning Guide for Sesame Seeds. This guide is packed with actionable insights, tailored to help farmers boost productivity and meet international market standards. Whether you're a farmer, agribusiness professional, or simply passionate about sustainable agriculture, this guide is your key to unlocking the potential of sesame seed exports. Want to get your hands on a copy? Follow our page Team Sage and click the link in the comments to grab your copy. Let’s drive sustainable growth together! 🚀 #TeamSAGE #exportready #farmersguide #agriinnovation #productivityboost #globalmarkets #agriculturedevelopment #farmingforthefuture #foodsecurity #agriculturetraining #farmersfirst #agrientrepreneurship #sustainabilityinaction

Are you struggling to meet international standards and boost sesame seed productivity? As part of The Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA) Fellowship, we’ve developed an Export-Ready Farmers' Learning Guide for Sesame Seeds. This guide is packed with actionable insights, tailored to help farmers boost productivity and meet international market standards. Whether you're a farmer, agribusiness professional, or simply passionate about sustainable agriculture, this guide is your key to unlocking the potential of sesame seed exports. Want to get your hands on a copy? Follow our page Team Sage and click the link in the comments to grab your copy. Let’s drive sustainable growth together! 🚀 #TeamSAGE #exportready #farmersguide #agriinnovation #productivityboost #globalmarkets #agriculturedevelopment #farmingforthefuture #foodsecurity #agriculturetraining #farmersfirst #agrientrepreneurship #sustainabilityinaction

CALA Alumni have formed vibrant networks that unite individuals with a shared interest in advancing the agricultural sector. Are you ready to be part of a movement that’s revolutionizing agriculture in Africa? The Agroecology Community of Practice is actively in motion and has organized an alumni-led webinar on the theme: “Agroecology Best Practices to Mitigate Extreme Flooding and Droughts in Africa.” This event, the first in a series, aims to champion agroecology as one of the sustainable solutions to the climate change and environmental issues our world faces today. 📅 Date: 31st July, 2024 🕒 Time: 11:30 GMT, 12:30 WAT, 13:30 CAT, 2:30PM EAT 💻 Platform: Zoom 🔗 Link: https://lnkd.in/detpT426 Don't miss out! Register and lets engage on how we can collectively advance agroecology for a sustainable future! #CALAAlumni #Agroecology #ClimateChange #FoodSystemsTranformation

The Action Learning Project (ALP) The idea behind the ALP, is to select a project that is aligned to National priority and plans . After careful review of the National Development Plan (2021-2025) and the sectorial plan NATIP (2022-2025), Team Sage identified a gap in export rejects from EU, and selected Sesame, being the highest in forex earning and having the highest rejects due to infestation by Salmonella, and high residual of pesticides. After a causal analysis, it was observed that infestation by salmonella and other pathogens came as a result of improper handling right from the field to storage.  Thereafter, team Sage developed a series of Good Agrnonmic practices to address the issues identified, then mapping of willing farmers to participate in the pilot project, this was after identification of the project site (Jigawa state) working in collaboration with project partners ThriveAgric to leverage its existing structures in Jigawa state, implementation commenced after farmer training . The outcome of the pilot project was salmonella free sesame seeds which were duly tested in a lab and can be exported to EU countries thereby increasing incomes for the farmers and those involved in the value chain. Lessons learnt during this project are teamwork, accountability, problem solving, collaboration, effective communication , intentionality and putting into effect agro ecology and environmental sustainability management . The scaling up of this project would greatly enhance the livelihoods of players in this sector, also value addition by further processing the sesame seeds into oils and cakes would further empower the farmers, sesame is a very versatile crop as it can be used for various foods, has great health benefits, can be used in manufacturing sector, for soaps etc. #TeamSage #NationalDevelopmentPlan #Agribusiness #SesameExports #SustainableAgriculture #ExportPromotion #FoodSafety #ValueChainDevelopment #CapacityBuilding #AgroEcology #NigeriaAgriculture

Our Action Learning Project As part of our fellowship with CALA, we needed to work as a team to select an Action Learning Project (ALP) of national interest. Selecting a project idea is a crucial stage at CALA. The focus was on researching and selecting a project that would have a meaningful impact on pressing agriculture issues in Nigeria. Understanding the significant rejection of goods exported from Nigeria was a key consideration. Nigeria suffers an annual loss of $130 billion due to the rejection of its agricultural produce. It was particularly noteworthy to discover that Sesame, one of Nigeria's top non-oil foreign exchange earners, cultivated in 25 states, faces major challenges. To address this, Team Sage proposed developing a model to reduce export rejections of Nigerian sesame, especially for the European market. The implementation included three steps: 1. Develop an easy-to-use, localised Good Agronomy Practice (GAP) training manual for smallholder farmers. 2. Demonstrate the implementation of these practices with selected smallholder sesame farmers in Jigawa state. 3. Conduct tests in certified laboratories to ensure compliance with European Union standards. The project's objectives were to encourage the adoption and replication of the model across Nigeria, improve the quality and quantity of sesame seeds, leverage partnerships, and enhance food security and nutrition. The expected outcomes were: 1. Establishment of sustainable farming practices through GAP training. 2. Improved social status for farmers through increased and stable income generation. 3. Greater inclusivity by integrating smallholder farmers into the national and global sesame value chain. The project aligned with Nigeria's National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) 2022-2027, and we are glad that it has achieved all the milestones mentioned above. Looking to partner? You may reach us at info@teamsage.org #TeamSage #ActionLearningProject #CALAfellowship #NigerianAgriculture #ExportRejection #Sesame #GoodAgronomyPractices #GAPtraining #SmallholderFarmers #SustainableFarming #FoodSecurity #NigeriaNATIP

Do you know that Nigeria loses millions of dollars annually due to rejections of agricultural commodities? But this can be changed! Read this guide on how to achieve zero rejection in the export of agricultural commodities from Nigeria. #AgriculturalExports #ZeroRejection #Nigeria #EconomicGrowth #GlobalCompetitiveness #QualityControl #Compliance #CapacityBuilding #Collaboration #KnowledgeSharing

We hereby offer you one of only ten delegate positions available for Nigeria' Welcome to the The Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA) Advanced Leadership Programme, an AGRA led initiative. We are excited to welcome you to the programme! These were the first lines of the email that ushered us into CALA in July 2022. Team Sage (5 of 10 Nigerian delegates) – that's us! – embarked on a truly transformative journey with the The Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA) through their Advanced Leadership Programme. This was not your typical classroom setting; CALA offered a dynamic, collaborative experience tailored for leaders like us actively implementing agricultural initiatives across the continent. The program was a vibrant mix of virtual and in-person learning events. We honed our leadership skills through practical exercises and discussions, but the real power came with the Action Learning Projects. These projects were not just theoretical, they tackled real-world challenges we faced in our own countries. With CALA's guidance, we received in-country coaching and participated in regular peer accountability sessions. It was a constant push and pull, refining our approaches and driving impactful results – all while building a solid network of inspiring cohorts across Africa. Sharing best practices and forging lifelong friendships with these fellow changemakers became invaluable resources as we navigated the complexities of African agriculture. Beyond the skills and connections, CALA provided unparalleled recognition. Graduates like us are positioned as delivery champions, granting access to prestigious AGRA platforms and events. This recognition has opened doors and also amplified our voices, empowering us to advocate for impactful agricultural policies. Our ALP project focused on the levels of export rejects we experienced in the Sesame seed sector. During the program, we developed the framework and tested the pilot successfully; now, we are poised to share this information with other relevant stakeholders because the issues of export rejection require a collaborative effort. The CALA Advanced Leadership Programme is an investment that continues to pay dividends. It is a springboard for leaders passionate about making a tangible difference in Africa's food systems. The Cohort 4 is now open for application