The Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) has commenced the distribution of vital farm inputs to 3,000 youth-led farming groups across eight northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The initiative, part of the third-year implementation of the WOFAN-ICON2 Project funded by the Mastercard Foundation, aims to empower young Nigerians, particularly women, through access to modern agricultural tools, improved seeds, fertilisers, agrochemicals and agronomic training.
Speaking at the official launch in Kano, WOFAN’s founder and executive director, Dr Salamatu Garba, described the support as a one-time startup grant meant to help youth farmers establish sustainable and dignified livelihoods through agriculture.
“This initiative is not a loan; it’s a startup grant designed to enhance youth interest in farming by providing access to financial services, community savings schemes, and modern agricultural technologies, it lays the foundation for viable agribusinesses while promoting dignity and self-reliance”, Dr Garba said.
According to WOFAN, each of the 3,000 youth groups received an input package sufficient to cultivate one hectare of land, including a 50kg bag of improved seeds, four bags of NPK fertiliser, two bags of Urea and six litres of agrochemicals.
In total, the organization said it has distributed 300,000 kg of seeds, 1,200 metric tons of NPK, 900 metric tons of Urea, and 36,000 litres of agrochemicals.
The inputs are intended for the 2025 wet and dry farming seasons, covering crops such as rice, maize, sorghum, and groundnuts in Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Nasarawa, and the FCT.
At the flag-off ceremony in the FCT, WOFAN’s business and coordination manager, Taiwo Olawale, highlighted that 80 per cent of the beneficiaries are women.
He emphasised that the project is deliberately inclusive, targeting marginalized groups such as women and persons with disabilities who often face financial barriers to entry in agriculture.
WOFAN’s director of strategies and innovation, Hajia Maimuna Lawal, said the ICON2 initiative enables young people to enter the agricultural sector without the burden of debt.
Expressing appreciation, one of the beneficiaries, Hajiya Khadija Tijjani from Tudun Wada, described the intervention as transformational for women farmers.