Nigeria, Jan. 31 -- Jeremiah Yunanna ekes out a living as a smallholder farmer planting maize, beans, yam and other crops in Byazhin, a rural community in the Kubwa outskirts of Abuja. But Mr Yunanna said life has become harder for himself and members of his family due to dwindling yields from his farm and the rising cost of living in Nigeria. He said he had been unable to reverse his situation because every time that he pursued government financing programmes, his efforts had been futile.

"I have been a farmer in this community for more than 30 years and I have never received any form of agricultural credit," the 53-year-old said. "I pursued it in 2013 and paid for everything I was asked to pay. In short, I spent about N70,000, yet I wa...