As part of its commitment to women’s empowerment, the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) has launched a transformative initiative to support 54,000 underserved women in agro-marketing.
This effort, rolled out under its Mini Project Initiative to mark International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025, aims to boost family incomes and strengthen financial inclusion.
The initiative, which prioritizes widows and street food vendors, addresses key gaps in the agricultural value chain by providing essential resources and business opportunities.
Speaking at the launch in Kano, Dr. Salamatu Garba, Country Director of WOFAN-ICON2 Project, emphasized the need for action beyond advocacy.
“We must move beyond discussions and take meaningful steps to uplift women by equipping them with confidence, opportunities, and economic independence,” she stated.
At the core of this initiative is the distribution of 54,000 bags of rice to small-scale female traders who typically sell less than half a portion of rice daily.
Dr. Garba explained that the distribution would be executed in three phases to ensure effective reach across the nine states targeted by WOFAN.
“By providing this support, WOFAN aims to expand their businesses, helping them diversify and secure stable income streams,” she noted.
This initiative aligns with the Mastercard Foundation’s goal of creating 10 million dignified jobs in Africa by 2030, including opportunities for one million Nigerian youths aged 18–35.
Beyond rice distribution, WOFAN is integrating these traders into the broader rice value chain, linking producers, processors, aggregators, and mini agro-marketers through its logistics network.
“We are creating a sustainable agricultural cycle where farmers receive inputs, cultivate their crops, and women at our processing centres refine the rice using modern equipment. The processed rice is then redistributed to smallholder traders, ensuring economic growth at every level,” Dr. Garba explained.
A critical aspect of WOFAN’s approach is financial inclusion, a longstanding barrier for many women entrepreneurs. To address this, WOFAN has facilitated the opening of 90,000 bank accounts for previously unbanked women in partnership with UBA and other financial institutions.
This enables them to access ATM cards, cashless transactions, and digital banking tools, empowering them to conduct business more efficiently.
“Introducing POS systems in marketplaces ensures that these women can receive payments seamlessly, enhancing financial security and ease of doing business,” she added.
The launch event was attended by traditional leaders, community elders, and partner organizations, who praised WOFAN’s efforts. Professor Sani Miko, Chair of WOFAN’s Technical Advisory Board, highlighted the initiative’s broader impact.
“WOFAN is working towards reaching 675,000 farmers and processors in the next five years. This initiative ensures that small-scale marketers—who are crucial in the agricultural value chain—are not left behind,” he said.
He also commended Dr. Garba’s dedication to supporting underserved communities, urging beneficiaries to make the most of the opportunity and extend help to others.
Other beneficiaries, including Hajiya Khadija Dogon Bauchi, Bala Abdullahi (Chairman, WOFAN PWDs Group, Kano), and Abdulmajid Yahuza Sulaiman (Chairman, Kano Logistics Loaders under WOFAN), expressed gratitude for WOFAN’s unwavering support.
“Dr. Garba’s initiatives have given us hope and opportunities we never imagined,” Bala Abdullahi shared.
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