Nigeria’s National Fadama Development Project Series: How to Build a Pilot into a National Program through Learning and Adaptation

Abstract

The case study explores the following question: how did the Fadama project learn and adapt to changing circumstances, including the social and political context, as it evolved from a pilot program to a successful national project? In doing so, this case study traces the evolution of the project’s design and implementation to demonstrate its adaptive capacity for promoting local agriculture and rural income generation. Prior to the Fadama project, most rural projects in Nigeria were managed centrally, with decisions made at higher levels of government. Today, a large number of communities are responsible for their own local development planning, and they participate actively in identifying needed infrastructure and supportive services. Fadama’s community groups are joint stakeholders in many community assets.