The future of agriculture in Africa requires more than improved inputs and expanded production. It requires institutions capable of delivering inclusive solutions that integrate gender equity and nutrition into their core mandate. This imperative was at the heart of the IGNITE+ stakeholder engagement meeting, held on June 6, 2025, in Lagos.
Opening remarks by Mrs Oluwatosin Balogun, Director, Women in Agriculture, representing the Honorable Commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, emphasized government ownership and local delivery of inclusive food systems
Convened by Tanager, in collaboration with Inspire Decisions Consulting and Ikore International Development Ltd, the meeting formally introduced the second phase of the Impacting Gender and Nutrition through Innovative Technical Exchange in Agriculture Plus (IGNITE+) project in Nigeria. It also served as a platform for forging new partnerships with agricultural institutions seeking to receive technical assistance on gender and nutrition integration.
The meeting commenced with welcome remarks by the Executive Director of Inspire Decisions Consulting, who set the tone for the day by emphasizing the critical role of local service providers in enabling sustainable agricultural transformation through gender and nutrition integration.
Strengthening Impact Through the Local Service Provider Model
From 2018 to 2024, Tanager implemented the first phase of the IGNITE project, supporting agricultural institutions across four African countries: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania, to better integrate gender and nutrition outcomes into their programming.
Phase 2, dubbed “IGNITE+”, builds on this legacy by scaling up the model and working through a locally-led implementation structure for long-term sustainability of the program outcomes. In Nigeria, Inspire Decisions Consulting and Ikore International Development Ltd are the Local Service Providers (LSPs), responsible for delivering tailored technical assistance to African Agricultural Institutions (AAIs).
IGNITE+ builds on Phase 1 by scaling through local service providers, Inspire Decisions and Ikore. Remarks by Kemi Asuni, Gender Expert, IGNITE+, Tanager
Strategic Partnerships for Impact
The stakeholder engagement meeting brought together 39 influential participants from federal and state government agencies, agribusinesses, development partners, and donor organizations. Key objectives of the event included:
- Introducing the IGNITE+ program in Nigeria, outlining its objectives, expected outcomes, and implementation model;
- Sharing key lessons from IGNITE, with testimonies from past client institutions, including Food and Health Systems Advisory (FHSA) and Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery Ltd.
- Facilitating dialogue among stakeholders to identify priority technical assistance needs.
Attendees included ministries, private agribusinesses, development actors, and research institutions
The event featured panel discussions, technical presentations, and one-on-one “readiness clinics” where institutions could express interest in becoming clients of the IGNITE+ program.
IGNITE’s Legacy
Representatives from FHSA and AMO Farms, two key beneficiaries, highlighted how IGNITE helped reshape their institutional policies, unlock inclusive programming, and strengthen internal capacity. Specific impacts discussed included:
- Enhanced gender-sensitive research and extension models
- Improved staff capacity in and increased institutional and program-level mainstreaming of gender and nutrition programming
- Development of internal action plans with measurable inclusion targets
The panel emphasized the long-term value of technical assistance that extends beyond compliance, instead supporting organizational transformation.
Past clients, FHSA and AMO Farms, shared lessons on institutional transformation under IGNITE
IGNITE+ Service Offerings: Tailored, Practical, Scalable
Inspire Decisions Consulting and Ikore International Development Ltd outlined their respective approaches to delivering gender and nutrition technical assistance. These include:
- Institutional diagnostics and capacity assessments
- Development of gender and nutrition action plans
- MEL systems strengthening and impact tracking
- Capacity building and post-training coaching
- Organizational culture change support
These services are offered through a tiered engagement model, allowing institutions to receive support aligned with their readiness and investment capacity, ranging from light-touch advisory to deep systems transformation.
Institutional Demand and Next Steps
The event revealed strong interest from institutions across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. A post-event analysis showed that:
- 88% of institutions expressed interest in receiving support under IGNITE+
- 40% completed on-site expressions of interest
- 75% of attendees were women, demonstrating the gender-inclusive outreach of the program
Moving forward, Inspire Decisions Consulting and Ikore International Development Ltd will conduct deeper engagement with prospective clients to tailor service offerings, assess institutional needs, and initiate long-term technical assistance partnerships.
Round table readiness clinics allowed institutions to express interest and assess eligibility for TA
A Collaborative Platform for Change
The IGNITE+ stakeholder engagement meeting represents a critical step toward building systems that are not only productive but also inclusive and resilient. By anchoring support within capable local service providers, Tanager is helping ensure that African agricultural institutions are not just better resourced but better equipped to deliver long-term impact.
The IGNITE+ team is catalyzing inclusive transformation from within institutions. L-R: Representatives of Ikore, Tanager, The Alternative Bank, and Inspire Decisions
About the Partners
About Tanager
Tanager, an affiliate of the AV Group, is a global development organization that empowers people to realize life-changing economic and social opportunities. We have 30 years of experience implementing gender-transformative and nutrition-sensitive agriculture approaches, connecting actors across the production supply chain, fostering knowledge and access for women and other marginalized groups, and unlocking sustainable, climate-smart economic opportunities for all.
About Inspire Decisions Consulting
Inspire Decisions Consulting is a global development organization catalyzing transformative impact across Africa’s agriculture, renewable energy, and financial services sectors. We deliver high-impact solutions that enhance food security, nutrition, resilience, and market systems development through research, monitoring and evaluation systems, capacity building and organizational development, development communications, and ecosystem-strengthening initiatives. Backed by over eight decades of combined expertise, our team has successfully implemented scalable, multi-sectoral programs across West and East Africa, empowering institutions and communities to drive sustainable change.
About Ikore International Development
IKORE is a development consulting firm, proffering innovative solutions to drive sustainable social and enterprise development, creating opportunities for a better life for all in Nigeria and the sub-region. We achieve this by working with State and non-state actors to address barriers to access, productivity, and achieving scale across various sectors, including agri-food systems, nutrition, health, and environment. Whatever we do, we always aim to create a win-win situation for all actors, extending the access frontiers at every opportunity. Our services are targeted at local and international organizations, for-profit and non-profit, including bi- and multilateral, directly supporting these organizations or implementing on their behalf. We provide end-to-end solutions to these organizations, spanning social and market research, value chain analysis and optimization, Project design/execution, inclusive strategy and business model advisory, enterprise support to Agri-food MSMEs, organizational development, and other tailored supports aimed at improving human capital development, value chain competitiveness,s and resilience.