Reaching Congolese Farmers Through CATI

Reaching farmers ,especially those in remote or hard-to-reach areas has always been a major challenge in monitoring and evaluation (M&E), baseline studies, and impact assessments across Nigeria. From poor road access to dispersed settlements and time constraints during farming seasons, traditional face-to-face data collection methods can be slow, costly, and sometimes ineffective.

This is where Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) becomes a powerful solution. In a country like Nigeria, where mobile phone penetration continues to grow even in rural communities, CATI offers a practical way to connect with farmers without the need for physical travel. Whether in the rice fields of Kebbi, maize farms in Benue, or cocoa plantations in Ondo, farmers can be reached directly through structured phone interviews.

Supporting Agricultural Research, Monitoring and Evaluation

For M&E and baseline studies, CATI helps researchers and organizations to:

• Reach geographically dispersed farmers quickly
• Reduce fieldwork costs and logistics challenges
• Conduct surveys during critical farming periods without disrupting activities
• Improve data turnaround time for faster decision-making

Farmers are often categorized as "hard-to-reach" respondents not because they are unwilling, but because of accessibility barriers. CATI bridges this gap by meeting them where they are on their phones. In regions with security concerns or difficult terrain, telephone surveys also help protect interviewer safety while maintaining consistent data collection standards. With trained interviewers who understand local languages and cultural contexts, every conversation is conducted professionally, producing accurate and reliable agricultural insights.

Across Nigeria, organizations are increasingly adopting CATI for:

• Agricultural baseline surveys
• Monitoring of farming interventions
• Post-harvest assessments
• Livelihood and income tracking

At CATI Africa, we help governments, NGOs, development partners, agribusinesses, and research institutions collect dependable agricultural data through professionally managed telephone surveys. Our CATI solutions strengthen monitoring and evaluation, improve programme accountability, and provide the evidence needed to make informed decisions that support agricultural development across Nigeria.