Terms of Reference: Market Assessment for Aquaponics Farms and Mini Ranches in Benue and Katsina States

Background 

The SPAR Project – Strengthening Peace and Resilience through Climate-smart Agriculture in North-Central and North-West Nigeria responds to persistent farmer–herder conflicts, climate-induced resource scarcity, and women’s exclusion from livelihoods in Benue and Katsina States. Communities in these areas face recurring violence fuelled by competition over land, desertification, and declining agricultural productivity. Women are disadvantaged by restrictive cultural norms, insecure land rights, and limited access to agricultural opportunities, heightening their vulnerability to poverty and violence.  Ultimately, SPAR leverages proven WEP pilots to scale inclusive, climate-smart solutions that reduce violence and strengthen resilience in fragile contexts.  

The project’s overall goal is to enhance food security, household income, and climate resilience for vulnerable farming and pastoralist communities. Specifically, it will (1) establish and operationalise two aquaponic farms and train farmers, particularly women, in sustainable agriculture; and (2) establish two community-managed climate-smart mini ranches and strengthen pastoralists’ capacity in livestock and rangeland management. The project combined aquaponics with mini ranching as inclusive, resource-efficient, and conflict-sensitive livelihood strategies. Aquaponics offers a home-based, care-compatible, water-efficient agricultural model suitable for men, women and marginalised groups, while mini ranches provide structured alternatives to open grazing, reducing land-based tensions, thereby directly addressing conflict drivers while promoting inclusive economic opportunities.  

Expected outcomes include improved food security and nutrition for women, men, and youth; diversified household incomes; reduced competition over scarce natural resources; and enhanced peaceful coexistence between farming and pastoralist groups. The project contributes to SPRiNG’s violence reduction goal by tackling farmer-herder tensions through resource-sensitive livelihood models and embedding conflict resolution skills into training. It supports SPRiNG’s climate resilience goal by introducing innovative, water-efficient, and sustainable agricultural systems that help communities adapt to ecological challenges. 

Problem Analysis 

The North Central and North-West geo-political zones of Nigeria have become epicentres of violent conflict, driven by climate-induced resource scarcity, political tensions, and insecurity. In Benue State, recurrent clashes between herders and indigenous farmers over land and water resources have destabilised communities in Katsina Ala, Logo, Agatu, Kwande, and Ado LGAs. Similarly, in Katsina State, unmanaged grazing and dwindling pasture resources continue to fuel conflicts between farmers and pastoralists. Traditional open grazing has become increasingly unsustainable due to land scarcity, desertification, and the expansion of farming activities. The conflict has intensified disputes over farmland and grazing routes, particularly in Batagarawa, Batsari, Jibia, Dutsima, Kurfi, and Kankara LGAs where pastoral and farming communities coexist. These insecurities are further compounded by declining agricultural productivity, which deepens competition over scarce resources. 

The persistent farmer–herder crisis and widespread banditry disproportionately affect women and other vulnerable groups. Women face compounded marginalisation due to discriminatory land tenure systems, limited access to credit, and cultural restrictions on mobility and participation in agricultural activities. In Katsina State, restrictive socio-religious norms further constrain women’s access to markets and agricultural opportunities. Moreover, despite Benue’s agricultural richness and Katsina’s dependence on farming and livestock, women remain excluded from secure and sustainable livelihoods. 

Over the years, several interventions by government and civil society have sought to address these challenges. Women Environmental Programme (WEP), for example, has implemented multiple projects that highlight the value of inclusive, climate-resilient livelihood strategies. In most successful cases, key lessons stood out: unless livelihood options align with women’s realities-home-based, low-mobility, and care-compatible, they risk being abandoned or sold. Importantly, climate-resilient livelihoods must also reduce competition over land and water resources, which are major drivers of farmer-herder conflicts, while building community understanding of climate risks. 

Based on these lessons from previous projects in Katsina and Benue States, WEP adopted aquaponic farming and community-based mini ranching as home-based, resource-efficient, care-compatible, and culturally appropriate options for improving household income, promoting collaborative natural resource management, strengthening resilience, and enhancing social cohesion among farmers and herders. These interventions demonstrated to not only be technically viable but also socially acceptable to farmer and herder communities, particularly enabling women, despite cultural restrictions on land ownership and mobility, to engage in productive agriculture at the household and community level. It also improved household nutrition, income diversification, livestock productivity, and ensured sustainable and conflict-sensitive alternative to open grazing by integrating fodder production, water-efficient systems, and improved animal health practices.  

Purpose of the Assessment 

This assessment aims to consolidate the SPAR project, contributing to enhancing its impacts in strengthening resilience, livelihoods, household income, and relevant value chains across farmer and herder communities. Its overall purpose is to assess the economic viability, market integration potential, and value-chain opportunities for mini ranch and aquaponics products in Benue (Katsina-Ala LGA) and Katsina (Batagarawa LGA) States. It will also enable project communities to visualize alternative business opportunities around these products that support community livelihoods. Moreso, it will identify and showcase how diverse business models employed by farmer and herder communities could be adapted to operationalise to sustain the production, distribution, and sale of the aquaponic and mini ranch products, thereby empowering local economies, strengthening market systems, and fostering social interactions. It will identify critical supporting functions, rules, and norms that shape the performance of aquaponic farm and min ranch products in the markets while addressing underlying constraints associated with sustaining their presence and access in local markets across the focal LGAs in Benue and Katsina States. 

In addition, this market system assessment will also demonstrate how specific value chains related to aquaponics and mini ranch products pursued by farmers and herders would increase household incomes and minimise the exploitation of specific business enterprises that amplify competition for shared natural resources – i.e., land and water. In essence, the study will explore valuable business opportunities, market systems and chains, and other economic connectors that can strengthen conflict mitigation efforts while improving livelihoods for farmer and herder communities. The assessment will integrate critical considerations such as gender and conflict sensitivity and the impact of implementing aquaponic and mini ranch-related businesses. It will also utilise the findings to recommend entry points for capacity strengthening for farmer and herder communities who are participating in the SPARC project, especially around aquaponic farm and mini ranch management within the context of market systems. The assessment will also recommend potential business models that would enable the access and continuation of aquaponic and mini ranch products in local and neighbouring markets, while recognising climate change, resilience, and economic recovery challenges.  

Specific Objectives of the Assessment 

1. Examine existing market systems for aquaponics and mini ranch products in farmer and herder communities that improve livelihoods and increase household income. 
2. Assess the drivers of demand, consumption, and pricing of these products (i.e., fish, vegetables, meat, diary, useful animal waste) in local and neighbouring markets. 
3. Map market and value-chain actors who control and influence market access, presence, and sustainability. 
4. Analyse the market-enabling environment, constraints, trade-related issues, linkages, profitability, and scaling factors that determine the acceptance or pushback of aquaponics and mini ranch products. 
5. Identify barriers that limit the participation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities in accessing aquaponic and mini-ranch markets. 
6. Recommend market system-related programming, stakeholder capacity building and engagement, gender-responsive models and community-based business enterprise actions to address demand and supply services and promote equitable access for social groups. 

Research Questions 

The following questions will guide this assessment: 

1. What are the different market systems for aquaponics and mini ranch products in farmer and herder communities that improve livelihoods and increase household income in the Katsina-Ala and Batagarawa LGAs? 
2. Why (or why not) does this market systems thrive within these LGAs? 
3. What are the drivers of demand, consumption, and pricing of these products in local and neighbouring markets in these LGAs? 
4. Who (or what) are the market and value-chain actors who control and influence market access, presence, and sustainability? 
5. What market factors enable the acceptance or pushback of aquaponics and mini ranch products? 
6. What are the barriers to equitable access and participation of women, youths, and PWDs in aquaponic and mini-ranch markets? 
7. What opportunities exist for improving the market accessibility of aquaponics and mini ranch products to enhance demand and supply chains? 

Expectations for each Assessment Objective 

1. Examine existing market systems for aquaponics and mini ranch products in farmer and herder communities that improve livelihoods and increase household income. 

• Identify different market systems that farmers and herders of different sex, age or disability status engage. 

• Highlight justifications for why these market systems are the most engaged and/or sought after for these products. 

• Understand which aquaponics and mini ranch products are exported the most outside the target LGAs. 

• Understand which products are reinforcing across different levels. 

• Understand which products are most viable for strengthening women and youth economic empowerment. 

• Identify strengths and weaknesses of existing systems. 

 2. Assess the drivers of demand, consumption, and pricing of these products (i.e., fish, vegetables, meat, diary, useful animal waste) in local and neighbouring markets. 

• Identify how demand and supply sides influence the market penetration of these products. 

• Understand how the delivery of services drives new demands for the products across the LGAs and elsewhere. 

• Identify diverse urban and rural consumption patterns of these products. 

• Assess the seasonal variations of these factors on the products. 

 3. Map market and value-chain actors who control and influence market access, presence, and sustainability. 

• Map the main market actors, their behaviours, governance structures and roles in influencing the overall market system. 

• Investigate the receptiveness of the markets to innovation. 

• Examine power dynamics if the struggles over market power, access and space that occur along commodity chains influences the choice of different aquaponics and mini ranch products. 

 4. Analyse the market-enabling environment, constraints, trade-related issues, linkages, profitability, and scaling factors that determine the acceptance or pushback of aquaponics and mini ranch products. 

• Assess how structural and environmental factors affect the choice(s) of specific products over others. 

• Highlight how existing/similar products adapt and cope with or despite market shocks and the strategies that inform their adaptiveness. 

• Understand which businesses are most impacted by environmental shocks and stresses, and in what dimensions. 

• Examine the sensitivity analysis under changing price and production scenarios. 

• Access to financial services. 

• Legislative restrictiveness on conducting certain businesses or operationalizing certain business models. 

 5. Recommend market system-related programming, stakeholder capacity building and engagement, and community-based business enterprise actions to address demand and supply services. 

• Highlight the most effective business strategies or models that will enable farmers and herders of different sex, age and disability status to continue to pursue their livelihoods and cope with the negative impact of conflict. 

• Identify how these opportunities will reinforce demand and supply in ways that reinforce mutuality and reciprocity and promote quality social relationships. 

Research Scope 

The assessment will be local government-wide, covering Katsina-Ala and Batagarawa LGAs in Benue and Katsina States. 

Approach and Methodology 

This assessment will employ a consultative and participatory approach, emphasising community involvement throughout the research. The selected consultant or firm will clearly outline the proposed research methodology, detailing the tools and methods for operationalising the study across the research LGAs. The consultant or firm will provide comprehensive recommendations on the selection of target research respondents, justify their choices, and explain their identification and engagement strategies. Additionally, they will elaborate on the data collection and analysis processes, emphasising measures to ensure data quality and adherence to research ethics, including the principles of Do No Harm and gender sensitivity. 

Research Timelines 

The research will be conducted within 28 days. A total of 20 fee days will be charged for this assignment. See the task breakdown below: 

Activities	No. of days	Person Responsible
Evaluation and onboarding of research team	2	WEP Project Team, AA, & SPRiNG’s Research and Evidence Lead
Development of inception report, data collection instruments, analysis plan, & reporting plan	3	Consultant/firm
Review and sign off on inception report	3	WEP Project Team, AA, & SPRiNG’s Research and Evidence Lead
Training of enumerators	1	Consultant and the WEP Project Team
Pilot of tools	1	Consultant/firm
Data collection	7	Consultant/firm
Data analysis and submission of draft research report	5	Consultant/firm
Review of draft research report	2	WEP Project Team, AA, & SPRiNG’s Research and Evidence Lead
Research validation workshop	1	Consultant/firm
Revision and submission of the final report	2	Consultant/firm
Dissemination workshop	1	Consultant and the WEP Project Team
Total number of days	28  (20 fee days for consultant/firm)

 

Deliverables 

1. Inception report 
2. Final research report 
3. Validation and dissemination workshops 

Budget 

The consultant/firm should provide a detailed budget indicating daily rates, including logistics and all direct costs related to execution of the assessment. 

The consultant/firm that will carry out this assessment will report to WEP’s Project Manager. However, SPRiNG’s Research and Evidence Lead will provide technical oversight of the assessment. 

Competencies Required 

1. Advanced university degree in International Development, Business Management, Economics, International Humanitarian Action or related area. 
2. At least 5 years of experience conducting business model, market system assessments or other livelihood evaluations in humanitarian environments, and political economy assessments. Some experience in social conflict assessment and analysis would be an added advantage. 
3. Excellent research, analytical, communication, writing and presentation skills. 
4. Proven capacity to build strong inter-personal relationships and utilise existing networks within market systems, local authorities, non-governmental organisations and farmer and herder communities to work effectively. 
5. Excellent command of English is required. Knowledge of Hausa and/or Fulfude languages will be a plus. 
6. Knowledge of and ability to integrate conflict prevention components and multisectoral business model and value chain analysis across local and state levels. 
7. Knowledge of the political and socioeconomic landscape in Benue and Katsina State. 
8. Demonstrated track record to work independently and deliver quality research outputs that are on time, scope, and budget. 

Method of Application

Interested consultants should submit the following documents: 

• A brief technical proposal including understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, and work plan. 

• Financial proposal detailing consultancy fees and other costs. 

• CV highlighting relevant qualifications and experience in similar tasks. 

• Sample(s) of previous similar works conducted. 

 

Submission should be via email: procurement@wepnigeria.net 

Use “SPAR Market Assessment” as the subject. 

 

Deadline for Submission: 

14th January 2026