Mariam Abass and Rukayya Muhammad were subsistence farmers in northern Nigeria, producing just enough food to feed their families, until they came across an agribusiness training program that changed their lives.
This program has equipped them with the knowledge and skills to start and grow their businesses, significantly increasing their productivity and putting them on a sustained profitability path. For instance, one of the women disclosed that her net profit before the training was around a miserly N30,000, but that on applying the knowledge gained, her net income increased to a whopping N500,000, which she described as profound and life-changing. “The training was invaluable, it taught us how to manage our business, connect with buyers, and join groups that expand our knowledge and help us grow,” Rukayya, who lives in Kano State, stated.
Women farmers, particularly in the region, traditionally face low productivity and financial dependence on male family members. Culture and childcare responsibilities have historically hindered their participation in agricultural training, where they could access modern skills, mentorship, and resources to improve their agricultural practices.
However, that has begun to change, thanks to the agribusiness training designed for them by IITA’s Youth in Agribusiness Unit (IYA).
Given their peculiar situation, the IYA first conducted community assessments to identify the constraints and specific needs of women in the region, particularly those interested in agribusiness training. This eventually led to an agribusiness training program that targeted 70 per cent of women’s participation.
The training covered climate-smart farming techniques such as crop rotation, drip irrigation, improved livestock housing, feed optimization, vaccination, efficient waste management, renewable energy integration, and finance skills such as budgeting and record-keeping.
Mariam, who lives in Zaria, Kaduna State, noted that she had seen significant changes in her farm since participating in the training. “With the help of IITA, I now have vast knowledge in the poultry business and marketing,” she stated. “I don’t sell my birds locally anymore. I have markets in Kaduna and Kano, which have increased my income and improved my business insight.”
“Before we started the training, any time we stocked birds, we recorded losses and lost our capital because we didn’t know much about the business. Miraculously, IITA came into our lives, and that was where our journey to success started.”
IYA provides childcare services and allows recess between training sessions to ensure nursing mothers are not distracted or excluded from the training. Additionally, the program allows couples to participate, eliminating hesitant spouses’ concerns and fostering family support. According to Mariam, the latter was why she could confidently participate in the training, describing the initiative as commendable.
Findings indicated that the training has enabled these women to evolve from subsistence farming into successful agribusinesses, boosting their income and enabling them to be part of the agricultural value chain. “Our business significantly improved after the IITA training,” Nasir Abubakar, Mariam’s husband, said with gratitude.
He added, “We gained marketing skills, which have helped us attract better customers. After our last sales, we deducted our expenses and made a profit of about ₦500,000, whereas before the training, our profit was less than ₦30,000.”
Solomon Adebayo, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager at IITA, emphasized the need for women’s empowerment, saying, “Rural women, who make up about 43 percent of the world’s agricultural workforce, face significant discrimination in land ownership, livestock ownership, equal pay, participation in decision-making roles, and access to credit.”
Concerned by these challenges, the IYA collaborates with organizations like the Mastercard Foundation, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and other partners to provide essential training and support that addresses the barriers women in agriculture face.
The women farmers participating in the program say the training has significantly improved their ability to manage businesses effectively. Relying on what she learned at the training, Rukayya has established reliable connections with more buyers and sells locally to supermarkets and MaiShayi vendors (tea sellers). A new buyer from the neighboring Niger Republic recently purchased an entire batch of her broiler chickens.
The training has also taught her how to keep her poultry healthy by cleaning the environment regularly, adjusting their feeding schedules, using clean water, and giving them the right medication. She said these changes had made her chickens healthier and increased profits. “We had 600 chickens in the past, but now we have 800. We added broilers to our poultry to gain more profit and expand our business,” she added.
With their expanded poultry business and increased income, Rukayya says her family’s living conditions are improving. They are moving to complete their building and provide quality education for the children.
Allowing spouses to participate in the training has been crucial in assisting the women’s businesses in thriving. Mariam and Rukayya say their husbands are involved in the businesses, providing logistical support, helping to market the products, and sharing responsibilities in the day-to-day running of the farm, which increases productivity.
“This intervention by IITA has changed our lives,” Nasir remarked. “We have paid our daughters’ school fees for the whole school year, and we have bought foodstuffs for the month, unlike before when we struggled to buy food daily.”
Through the collective efforts of IYA and its partners, women farmers are improving their livelihoods and reshaping their roles within their communities.
Contributed by Jesutofunmi Robinson
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