Role of Faith-Based Social Groups in Promoting Sustainable Food Security in Nigeria

This chapter explores the role of faith-based social groups in promoting food security in Nigeria. It draws on insights gained by a Catholic Church-based development agency, the Diocesan Development Services (DDS), which has operated in Nigeria since 1970. DDS established a network of groups, called Farmer Councils (FCs), which provided the basis for micro-savings and micro-credit program designed to support food security of farmers and their households. The chapter critically explores the rise and eventual demise of what was once a highly successful intervention and the insights that led to a change in the orientation of its services and reveals how these grassroot groups are open to change as and when circumstances demand it.