By Andi Anderson
This project centered on comprehending market linkages and participation levels within Nigerian and Nigerien markets. The focus was on identifying necessary tools for enhancing regional market integration, with a core inquiry into how digital technology influences market engagement.
Launched in June 2021, the KasuwaGo app emerged as a virtual marketplace for participants within the legume value chain, offering unhindered access to market information for smartphone users. Research revealed that over 40% of traders and farmers owned smartphones, a figure anticipated to surpass the majority in the near term. The app's creation involved collaborative input from farmers, buyers, and sellers at all value chain levels. Their insights, gathered through pre-development interviews and focus groups, ensured the app aligned with stakeholders' requirements, instilling confidence in its acceptability.
Over 200 youths were trained and deployed as technical support agents, reaching out to markets to assist interested traders and farmers with the app. This initiative not only addressed youth involvement but also significantly augmented the app's user base, surging from 4,000 to over 13,000 registered users. These trained youth penetrated more than 200 markets, catalyzing widespread adoption.
In the project's final technical report, the leadership encapsulates objectives, activities, outputs, and outcomes while outlining existing challenges and future opportunities for this application's sustainability and growth.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-prostock-studio
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