The full meaning of APPEALS is “Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support” Project.
Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood improvement Support (APPEALS) Project is a comprehensive six-year World Bank Assisted project aimed at supporting farmers’ productivity and their linkage to markets, facilitating consolidating of agricultural products and cottage processing, facilitating farmers and small and medium business’ clustering and connection to infrastructure network and business services, providing technical assistance (TA) and institutional support both to beneficiaries, federal and state governments in value chain development.
The basic strategy of the project is to increase productivity, production, and improve processing and marketing of the targeted value chains which are expected to foster job creation along value chains.
The value chains to be supported by APPEALS in Lagos State are “AQUACULTURE, POULTRY AND RICE’.
It is presently being implemented in six (6) states of the federation; Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Kogi, Enugu and Cross rivers.
The objective of the project is to enhance agricultural productivity of small and medium scale farmers and improve value addition along priority value chains in the State.
The project will be implemented over six-year period, starting from year 2018 and will be closing year 2023.
The project intervention will consist of tackling key constraints, which hinder the development of the value chains, and prevent greater inclusion of small and medium scale farmers in agribusiness supply chains.

The project will address some of the challenges noted by;

(i) Improving access to seed capital through grants;

(ii) Support to productivity enhancement through introduction of new technologies and agricultural inputs;

(iii) Improving access to infrastructure by supporting investments;

(iv) Building the capacity of producer cooperatives through training and Technical assistance, especially for targeted women and youth groups.

(v) Facilitating market linkage through out growers scheme and

(vi) Facilitating on-farm value addition by targeting limited number of value chains, and linking farmers to the supply chain.

The number of project’s direct beneficiaries for Lagos State is estimated at 10,000 beneficiaries and 50,000 farm household members as indirect beneficiaries.

It is anticipated that 35 percent of direct beneficiaries (for 3,500 individuals) will be women.

By design, the project has a dedicated sub-component to benefit women and youth that will allow them to develop agri-businesses that are expected to create jobs and improve their livelihoods.

However, in addition to the direct beneficiaries, others (indirect beneficiaries) will gain from the improved roads and electricity made possible under the project.
(i) Belonging to any farmers/producers’ organization for at least one year;

(ii) Having engaged in farming for at least three (3) years;

(iii) Located in participating state and involved in one or more of the selected value chains in the state for 3 years;

(iv) Has not been convicted for fraudulent activities;

(v) Documents showing availability of resources (in kind or cash) from own contributions to matching grants for the adoption of technologies and/or land development, as shown in a costed business plan.

Minimum commercially viable, and maximum size of assets for individual smallholders i.e.
Rice: 2 to 10 ha,
Poultry: 1,100-5000 birds,
Aquaculture 2500-5000 fish.
(i) Registered cooperative societies with own productive assets of a minimum size i.e. Rice: 10ha – above of farm land, Poultry: 5,000 – above birds, Aquaculture: 5,000 – above fish.

(ii) Registered companies operating in any of the eligible 3 value chains in the state.

(iii) Minimum size for small holder.

(iv) Individual medium farms with more than 10ha and less that 50ha, employing a minimum of 5 workers.

(i) Women and men between 18 and 40yrs at the time of submission, interested in any of the eligible value chains:

(ii) Graduates from university and colleges of agriculture, or

(iii) Minimum of secondary school leaving certificate, and being in business on selected value chains for at least 18 months at the time of submission; or

(iv) Registered company or cooperative society with at least 3 members who have met the criteria, and established with no less than 6 months of age at the time of submission

(v) Inclusion of at least 10% Person with Disability (PWD)

COMPONENT 1: Production and Productivity Enhancement

COMPONENT 2: Primary Processing, Value Addition, Post-Harvest Management And Women And Youth Empowerment.

COMPONENT 3: Infrastructure Support to Agri-Business.

COMPONENT 4: Technical Assistance, Knowledge Management and Communication.

COMPONENT 5: Project Management and Coordination.

These are substantial items that will be commensurate with (in-kind contribution from beneficiaries) aimed to be used as an incentive to stimulate farmers’ participation and remove the financing constraints.
The project will provide matching grants to finance activities on;

1. Technology Demonstration and Adoption

2. Women and Youth Empowerment.