Re-calibrating in the wake of shocks after shocks in Northeast Nigeria

Northeast Nigeria has been subjected to multiple shocks and stressors, which have further compounded the existing challenges faced by its population. The primary shock is the ongoing conflict, which caused immense loss of lives, destruction of infrastructure, displacement of millions of people, and disrupted markets and livelihoods. The conflict has also triggered a series of secondary stressors exacerbating the humanitarian situation. These stressors include food insecurity, malnutrition, and limited access to healthcare and education. Furthermore, the impacts of climate change have contributed to resource scarcity, particularly water and arable land, further straining the already vulnerable communities. 

The Rural Resilience Activity (RRA) facilitates economic recovery and growth in vulnerable, conflict-affected areas by promoting systemic change in market systems and strengthening the resilience capacities of markets, businesses, and people. Whereas RRA was designed at a time when the conflict was de-escalating to build the resilience capacities to known shocks and stressors, the degree of additional shocks which significantly impacted markets and livelihoods - such as rising energy and food prices, floods, and economic downturns as the country struggled to implement a currency redesign and demonetization policy – have taken RRA into a place that could not have been imagined at the design stage. 

To adapt to these shocks, RRA deployed continuous monitoring and market analyses which informed decisions and planning, quickly re-designing interventions that strengthened the resilience of market actors and the market system to withstand shocks, collaborated strategically with relevant stakeholders, and amplified initiatives that constantly fostered innovation and experimentation.